THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


f loreace  8U  Jflerrtam, 


BIRDS  THROUGH  AN  OPERA-GLASS.  In 
Riverside  Library  for  Young  People.  Illustra- 
ted. i6mo,  75  cents. 

MY  SUMMER  IN  A  MORMON  VILLAGE.  With 
an  Illustration.  i6mo,  $1.00. 

A-BIRDING     ON     A     BRONCO.        Illustrated. 

-    i6mo,  $1.25. 

BIRDS  OF  VILLAGE  AND  FIELD.  A  Bird 
Book  for  Beginners.  Fully  illustrated.  i2mo, 
$2.00. 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  &  CO. 

BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK. 


PLATE  I.  —  GOLDFINCH 
(Page  145) 


BIRDS 

OF  VILLAGE  AND  FIELD 
#  )15trD  Book  for  Beginner* 

BY 

FLORENCE  A.   MERRJAM 

ILLUSTRATED 


BOSTON  AND    NEW  YORK 
HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND    COMPANY 


Copyright,  1898, 
BY  FLORENCE  A.  MERRIAM. 

All  rights  reserved. 


PREFATORY  NOTE 

IN  this  day  of  outdoor  and  nature  interest,  we 
are  coming  to  realize  that  to  the  birds  as  well  as 
the  flowers  we  owe  much  of  the  beauty  and  charm 
of  country  life  ;  and  if  it  could  be  accomplished 
within  the  narrow  margins  of  our  busy  lives,  we 
would  gladly  know  more  of  the  songsters. 

Their  prevalence,  though  often  unsuspected, 
helps  render  this  possible  ;  for  they  are  to  be 
found  in  villages  and  cities  as  well  as  in  the  fields. 
In  a  shrubby  back  yard  in  Chicago,  close  to  one 
of  the  main  thoroughfares,  Mrs.  Sara  Hubbard 
has  seen  fifty-seven  species  in  a  year,  and  her  re- 
cord for  ten  years  was  a  hundred  species.  In  an 
orchard  in  Brattleboro',  Vermont,  Mrs.  E.  B. 
Davenport  has  noted  seventy-nine  species  in  a 
year.  And  within  the  limits  of  Portland,  Con- 
necticut, Mr.  John  H.  Sage  has  known  ninety- 
nine  kinds  of  birds  to  nest  (see  Appendix,  p. 
388).  In  the  larger  cities,  cemeteries  and  parks 
offer  rare  opportunities  for  bird  study.  Dr.  W. 
C.  Braislin  gives  a  list  of  seventy-six  species  for 


w 


iv  PREFATORY  NOTE 

Prospect  Park,  Brooklyn  ;  while  Mr.  H.  E.  Park- 
hurst  has  himself  seen  ninety-four  species  in 
Central  Park,  and  as  many  as  a  hundred  and 
forty-two  have  been  recorded  altogether. 

The  question,  then,  is  not  one  of  finding  birds, 
but  of  knowing  their  names  when  they  are  found ; 
and  here  the  way  of  the  beginner  is  hard.  Years 
of  experience  with  field  classes  of  such  beginners 
has  made  me  appreciate  the  peculiar  disadvan- 
tages under  which  they  labor,  and  I  have  written 
this  book  to  make  it  possible  for  them  to  know 
the  birds  without  shooting  them.  I  have  done 
this  by  borrowing  only  necessary  statistics  from 
the  ornithologies,  giving  untechnical  descriptions, 
and  illustrated  keys  based  on  such  colors  and 
markings  as  any  one  can  note  in  the  field ;  for  I 
have  written  for  those  who  do  not  know  a  Crow 
or  a  Robin  as  well  as  for  boys  who  would  get  a 
start  in  bird-work,  and  teachers  who  would  pre- 
pare themselves  for  this  increasingly  popular 
branch  of  nature  study. 

To  open  the  way  for  more  intimate  acquaint- 
ance after  the  formalities  of  introduction  are  over, 
I  have  offered  suggestions  on  how  to  observe  in 
the  field  (see  Appendix,  p.  380),  hoping  that  the 
friendship  thus  acquired  by  seeing  the  songsters 


PREFATORY  NOTE  V 

in  their  homes  may  urge  the  student  to  go  on 
and  gain  for  himself  the  delights  of  a  deeper 
study  of  birds. 

In  the  preparation  of  the  Keys  for  this  book,  I 
have  been  largely  helped  by  my  brother,  Dr.  C. 
Hart  Merriam  ;  and  at  other  points  have  been 
kindly  assisted  by  Miss  Isabel  Eaton,  Mrs.  G.  C. 
Maynard,  Mr.  Robert  Ridgway,  Mr.  Frank  M. 
Chapman,  Mr.  John  H.  Sage,  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher, 
Dr.  T.  S.  Palmer,  Prof.  F.  E.  L.  Beal,  and  Mr. 
Sylvester  Judd.  The  ranges  given  are  from 
Chapman's  Handbook,  with  additional  notes  by 
Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher;  the  measurements  are  taken 
from  the  Handbook,  but  are  given  in  round  num- 
bers of  quarter  inches.  Of  the  migration  and 
winter  bird  lists  (see  Appendix,  pp.  369-379), 
the  Washington  ones  have  been  kindly  made  by 
Mr.  William  Palmer  ;  the  St.  Louis  migration  list 
has  been  compiled  from  notes  by  Mr.  Otto  Wid- 
mann  in  the  files  of  the  Biological  Survey ;  and 
the  Portland  lists,  together  with  that  of  birds 
known  to  nest  in  Portland,  have  been  kindly 
supplied  by  Mr.  John  H.  Sage. 

The  pictures  of  birds  are  from  drawings  by 
Ernest  Seton  Thompson,  Louis  Agassiz  Fuertes, 
and  John  L.  Ridgway.  For  the  use  of  drawings 


vi  PEEFATOEY  NOTE 

of  birds,  insects,  and  plants  which  have  previously 
appeared  in  the  publications  of  the  Department 
of  Agriculture  and  the  National  Museum,  I  am 
indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  Dr.  L.  O.  Howard, 
Chief  of  the  Division  of  Entomology ;  Mr.  F.  V. 
Coville,  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Botany  ;  and  Dr. 
C.  Hart  Merriam,  Chief  of  the  Biological  Survey 
of  the  Department  of  Agriculture;  and  to  Mr. 
F.  A.  Lucas,  Curator  of  Comparative  Anatomy 
in  the  National  Museum.  For  the  use  of  cuts 
previously  published  in  the  'Auk,'  the  'Os- 
prey,'  and  a  report  of  the  Illinois  State  Labora- 
tory of  Natural  History,  I  am  indebted  to  the 
courtesy  of  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen,  Mr.  Walter  A.  John- 
son, and  Prof.  S.  A.  Forbes. 

FLORENCE  A.  MERRIAM. 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  June  1,  1897. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 
INTRODUCTION. 

How  to  find  a  Bird's  Name xiii 

Where  to  find  Birds xiv 

How  to  watch  Birds xv 

How  Birds  affect  Village  Trees,  Gardens,  and  Farms  xv 

How  to  keep  Birds  about  our  Houses       .         .         .  xxiv 

General  Key  to  Birds  mentioned  in  Book  (Illustrated)  xxix 

HUMMINGBIRD 1 

CATBIRD 6 

AMERICAN  CROW 11 

FISH  CROW 16 

ROBIN 17 

WOOD  THRUSH 22 

CHIMNEY  SWIFT 23 

MOURNING  DOVE 29 

GROUND  DOVE 31 

RUFFED  GROUSE 32 

BOB-WHITE .37 

Key  to  Grouse  and  Quail 40 

BLUEBIRD 41 

HOUSE  WREN 44 

PURPLE  MARTIN 48 

BARN  SWALLOW <;  49 

EAVE  SWALLOW 52 

BANK  SWALLOW 54 

BALTIMORE  ORIOLE 56 

ORCHARD  ORIOLE 61 

MOCKINGBIRD , .        .63 

CARDINAL 65 

CHICKADEE ...  67 

CAROLINA  CHICKADEE .  71 

WHITE-BREASTED  NUTHATCH    .        .  73 


Vlll  CONTENTS 

RED-BREASTED  NUTHATCH 76 

PASSENGER  PIGEON    .        .        . '       .        .        .        .        .  78 

Key  to  Pigeons  and  Doves  ......  80 

LEAST  FLYCATCHER 80 

KINGBIRD ,        ,        .        .  83 

PHOEBE        .        . 87 

WOOD  PEWEE 90 

CROW  BLACKBIRD 93 

RED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD 96 

COWBIRD 98 

RUSTY  BLACKBIRD 101 

BOBOLINK 103 

MEADOWLARK 106 

Key  to  Blackbirds  and  Orioles Ill 

CHIPPING  SPARROW 113 

SONG  SPARROW .  116 

VESPER  SPARROW 119 

RED-EYED  VIREO .  120 

WARBLING  VIREO .  126 

FLICKER 127 

RED-HEADED  WOODPECKER  .        .        .        .      - .        .  131 

HAIRY  WOODPECKER 135 

DOWNY  WOODPECKER 137 

WAXWING 141 

GOLDFINCH      .        .        . 145 

PURPLE  FINCH 148 

INDIGO  BUNTING    . 149 

TUFTED  TITMOUSE 151 

Key  to  Nuthatches  and  Tits        ..      .        ..',..',.  152 

BLUE  JAY 154 

BELTED  KINGFISHER     .        .        .    \    .        .        .        .  157 

YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO  .        .        .        .        .        .        .160 

BLACK-BILLED  CUCKOO.        ,       ,»        .        .  ;v    •        .  163 

Key  to  Cuckoos  and  Kingfishers     .         ...         .  165 

ROSE-BREASTED  GROSBEAK  .        .        .        .        .        .  166 

SCARLET  TANAGER    ..      .        .     ;  ...        .        .  170 

SUMMER  TANAGER         ,        .        •        .        .        .        .  173 

Key  to  Tanagers       ..'......  174 

WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW          »  174 


CONTENTS  ix 

WHITE-CROWNED  SPARROW 176 

BROWN  THRASHER 177 

CHEWINK 181 

FIELD  SPARROW 183 

WHIP-POOR-WILL        .        .        .        .        .         .        .        .  185 

NlGHTHAWK ]88 

Key  to  Goatsuckers,  Hummingbirds,  Swifts          .         .  193 

WHITE-BELLIED  SWALLOW 194 

ROUGH-WINGED  SWALLOW 195 

Key  to  Swallows 196 

WINTER  WREN 197 

CAROLINA  WREN 199 

BEWICK'S  WREN .  201 

LONG-BILLED  MARSH  WREN 202 

Key  to  Thrashers  and  "Wrens          ..„..-  205 

YELLOW-BELLIED  WOODPECKER 208 

RED-COCKADED  WOODPECKER 210 

RED-BELLIED  WOODPECKER 211 

PILEATED  WOODPECKER 212 

Key  to  Woodpeckers 216 

CANADA  JAY 217 

Key  to  Crows  and  Jays 220 

JUNCO 221 

SNOWFLAKE 223 

DICKCISSEL 224 

SAVANNA  SPARROW 225 

GRASSHOPPER  SPARROW 226 

TREE  SPARROW 227 

SWAMP  SPARROW       .                 229 

Fox  SPARROW 280 

PINE  GROSBEAK 231 

PINE  FINCH 233 

AMERICAN  CROSSBILL 234 

WHITE-WINGED  CROSSBILL •  235 

REDPOLL 236 

LARK  SPARROW 237 

SHARP-TAILED  SPARROW 239 

SEASIDE  SPARROW .  240 

CLAY-COLORED  SPARROW  ....                         .  241 


X  CONTENTS 

BACHMAN'S  SPARROW    .        .        ...        .        .        .  242 

Key  to  Finches  and  Sparrows          .         .        .                 .  246 

ACADIAN  FLYCATCHER  .        .        ...        .        .        .  254 

GREAT-CRESTED  FLYCATCHER   .              ' .        .        .        .  255 

OLIVE-SIDED  FLYCATCHER      .        .        .                .        .  257 

ALDER  FLYCATCHER  .        .        .        .        .        .  /               .  258 

Key  to  Flycatchers        .         .        ...         .        .  260 

HORNED  LARK 261 

TURKEY  VULTURE          .        .        .  '      .        .        .        .  263 

BLACK  VULTURE        .        . 265 

Key  to  Vultures 266 

GOSHAWK 266 

SHARP-SHINNED  HAWK 268 

COOPER'S  HAWK 269 

RED-TAILED  HAWK 271 

RED-SHOULDERED  HAWK 273 

BROAD-WINGED  HAWK  .        .        .                 .  -     .        .  275 

SPARROW  HAWK        .        .        .        .        ...        .276 

MARSH  HAWK         .         .        .        ....        .  278 

FISH  HAWK .        .        .  280 

BALD  EAGLE ".        .  282 

SWALLOW-TAILED  KITE 283 

Key  to  Falcons,  Hawks,  and  Eagles   ....  285 

SCREECH  OWL 287 

LONG-EARED  OWL 288 

SHORT-EARED  OWL 290 

BARRED  OWL •        .  291 

GREAT  HORNED  OWL 292 

BARN  OWL      .        .        .                 .  -      .        .        .        -  293 

SNOWY  OWL       .        .        .    » 294 

Key  to  Owls  .        .        . 296 

LOGGERHEAD  SHRIKE         .        .        .        .        .        .        .  298 

BUTCHERBIRD          .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .  300 

Key  to  Shrikes  .         .         .        .        .        .      , ,  .       .        -  300 

YELLOW-THROATED  VIREO    .        .    /   .        .        .        .  301 

WHITE-EYED  VIREO  .        .        ...        »        .        .        .  302 

KeytoVireos         .         .       '_•.        ;        .      -.         .        .  304 

YELLOW  WARBLER    .        .        .        .        *   .    .        .        .  307 

REDSTART               .        .        .        »        .-      '.        .        .  309 


CONTENTS  XI 

YELLOW-RUMPED  WARBLER 310 

BLACK-THROATED  GREEN  WARBLER    .        .        .        .  311 

BLACK-THROATED  BLUE  WARBLER          ....  312 

BLACK  AND  WHITE  CREEPING  WARBLER    .        .        .  314 

MARYLAND  YELLOW-THROAT 315 

RED-POLL  WARBLER      .......  316 

PARULA  WARBLER 317 

CHESTNUT-SIDED  WARBLER 318 

BLACK-POLL  WARBLER 321 

CANADIAN  WARBLER 322 

NASHVILLE  WARBLER 322 

BLACK  AND  YELLOW  WARBLER 324 

PRAIRIE  WARBLER 325 

BLACKBURNIAN  WARBLER 326 

HOODED  WARBLER 327 

KENTUCKY  WARBLER    .        .        .        .        .        .        .  329 

YELLOW-BREASTED  CHAT 331 

OVEN-BIRD 333 

NORTHERN  WATER-THRUSH 335 

LOUISIANA  WATER-THRUSH 336 

WORM-EATING  WARBLER 337 

WILSON'S  WARBLER 339 

Key  to  Warblers 342 

PIPIT  OR  TITLARK 348 

BROWN  CREEPER 349 

RUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET      .        .        .                .        .  354 

GOLDEN-CROWNED  KINGLET      .......  356 

BLUE-GRAY  GNATCATCHER 357 

Key  to  Kinglets  and  Gnatcatchers         ....  357 

VEERY  THRUSH 358 

OLIVE-BACKED  THRUSH 359 

HERMIT  THRUSH 360 

Key  to  Thrushes       .         .         .        .         .        .         .         .  360 

APPENDIX. 

Migration 367 

Winter  Birds 376 

Field  Observations 380 

Observing  in  Towns  and  Villages         .         •        .        .  388 

Books  of  Reference  .         .         .        .        .        .        .  390 

Index  to  Illustrations  .         .        .        »        .        .        .  395 

Index  399 


INTKODUCTION 

i 

How  TO  FIND  A  BIRD'S  NAME.  —  As  this  book 
is  intended  for  beginners,  scientific  classification 
has  been  disregarded,  and  the  birds  which  read- 
ers are  most  likely  to  know  and  see  are  placed 
first,  the  rarer  ones  left  until  later.  For  the  bene- 
fit of  those  who  have  a  definite  bird  to  name,  a 
color  key  based  on  markings  visible  in  the  field 
has  been  made  to  all  the  birds  taken  up  (see 
pp.  xxix-xlix)  ;  this,  when  run  down,  will  lead 
by  page  reference  to  the  description  and  picture 
of  the  bird  in  the  body  of  the  book.  If  the 
family  to  which  the  bird  belongs  is  known,  the 
species  will  be  found  more  quickly  by  turning 
to  the  key  of  the  family,  referred  to  in  the  index. 

If  no  definite  bird  is  to  be  looked  up,  and  one 
goes  to  the  field  unembarrassed  by  knowledge, 
with  the  whole  bird  world  freshly  opening  for 
conquest,  the  matter  of  naming  the  birds  and 
learning  their  ways  is  not  a  difficult  one.  Four 
things  only  are  necessary  —  a  scrupulous  con- 
science, unlimited  patience,  a  notebook,  and  an 
opera-glass.  The  notebook  enables  one  to  put 
down  the  points  which  the  opera-glass  has  brought 
within  sight,  and  by  means  of  which  the  bird  may 


xiv  INTBODUCTION 

be  found  in  the  key;  patience  leads  to  trained 
ears  and  eyes,  and  conscience  prevents  hasty  con- 
clusions and  doubtful  records.  Two  notebooks 
should  be  kept,  one  for  permanent  records  and 
a  pocket  one  for  field  use,  as  elaborations  from 
memory  are  of  little  value  to  one's  self,  and  still 
less  to  posterity.  One  of  the  best  forms  of  per- 
manent notebook  is  a  pad,  punched  and  fastened 
in  an  adjustable  cover.  The  notes  on  each  bird 
should  be  written  on  separate  pages,  and  as  they 
accumulate,  the  pages  slipped  out  of  the  cover 
and  arranged  alphabetically  for  easy  reference. 
Suggestions  for  field  notes  will  be  found  in  the 
observation  outline,  Appendix,  p.  380. 

WHERE  TO  FIND  BIRDS.  —  Shrubby  village 
door-yards,  the  trees  of  village  streets  and  or- 
chards, roadside  fences,  overgrown  pastures,  and 
the  borders  of  brooks  and  rivers  are  among  the 
best  places  to  look  for  birds.  Such  places  afford 
food  and  protection,  for  there  are  more  insects 
and  fewer  enemies  in  villages  and  about  country 
houses  than  in  forests ;  while  brooks  and  river 
banks,  though  without  the  protection  afforded 
by  man,  give  water  and  abundant  insect  life. 
Very  few  birds  care  for  deep  woods.  The  heart 
of  the  dark,  coniferous  Adirondack  forest  is 
silent  —  hardly  a  bird  is  to  be  found  there.  It 
is  along  the  edges  of  sunny,  open  woodland  that 
most  of  the  wood-loving  species  go  to  nest. 


INTRODUCTION  XV 

How  TO  WATCH  BIRDS.  —  In  looking  for  birds 
be  careful  not  to  frighten  them  away.  As  shyer 
kinds  are  almost  sure  to  fly  before  you  in  any 
case,  the  best  way  is  to  go  quietly  to  a  good  spot 
and  sit  down  and  wait  for  them  to  return  and 
proceed  with  their  business  unconscious  of  spec- 
tators. Do  not  look  toward  the  sun,  as  colors  will 
not  show  against  the  light. 

In  nesting  time,  birds  may  be  found  at  home  at 
any  hour,  as  the  nestling's  meal-time  comes  with- 
out regard  for  callers  ;  but  during  migration,  birds 
are  moving,  and  best  seen  from  4.30  to  8.30  A.  M. 
and  4  to  8  P.  M. 

If  you  begin  watching  birds  in  the  spring,  when 
they  are  coming  back  from  a  winter  in  the  south, 
you  will  be  kept  busy  looking  up  the  names  of 
the  new  arrivals ;  but  even  when  intent  on  the  dis- 
tinguishing marks  of  the  birds,  you  may  make  a 
great  many  interesting  discoveries  as  to  their 
ways  of  life.  It  is  one  of  the  pleasures  of  the 
season  to  keep  a  dated  list  of  the  migrants  as  they 
come  north.  The  first  year  this  will  be  exciting 
from  the  daily  surprises  of  new  arrivals ;  and  as 
the  years  go  by  it  will  be  of  increasing  interest 
from  anticipations  based  on  old  dates,  and  the 
changes  that  occur  with  variations  of  season. 
(See  Appendix,  p.  367.) 

How  BIRDS  AFFECT  VILLAGE  TREES,  GAR- 
DENS, AND  FARMS.  —  Village  improvement  so- 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

cieties  are  doing  a  great  deal  to  better  and 
beautify  our  towns ;  but  in  their  attempts  to  pre- 
serve the  trees  against  the  plagues  of  insects  that 
in  late  years  have  descended  upon  them,  they 
sometimes  seem  to  be  baffled  by  the  magnitude  of 
their  task.  Their  best  allies  in  this  work  have 
hardly  been  recognized,  and  it  is  most  important 
to  understand  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  help 
that  may  be  obtained.  The  relation  of  birds  to 
insects  is  only  just  becoming  known. 

It  is  said  that  two  hundred  millions  of  dollars 
that  should  go  to  the  farmer,  the  gardener,  and  the 
fruit-grower  in  the  United  States  are  lost  every 
year  by  the  ravages  of  insects  —  that  is  to  say, 
one  tenth  of  our  agricultural  products  is  actually 
destroyed  by  them.  The  ravages  of  the  gypsy 
moth  in  sections  of  three  counties  in  Massachu- 
setts for  several  years  cost  the  State,  annually, 
$100,000.  Now,  as  rain  is  the  natural  check  to 
drought,  so  birds  are  the  natural  check  to  insects, 
for  what  are  pests  to  the  farmer  are  necessities  of 
life  to  the  bird.  It  is  calculated  that  an  average 
insectivorous  bird  destroys  100,000  insects  in  a 
year ;  and  when  it  is  remembered  that  there  are 
over  100,000  kinds  of  insects  in  the  United 
States,  the  majority  of  which  are  injurious,  and 
that  in  some  cases  a  single  individual  in  a  year 
may  become  the  progenitor  of  several  billion 
descendants,  it  is  seen  how  much  good  birds  do 
ordinarily  by  simple  prevention. 


INTRODUCTION  xvil 

The  good  they  do  in  cases  of  insect  plagues, 
like  that  of  the  grasshopper  scourge  in  Nebraska 
and  Kansas,  is  still  more  marked.  Then,  as  self- 
constituted  militia,  they  fly  to  the  scene  of  action 
and  make  way  with  the  rioters.  An  interesting 
case  of  this  kind  was  seen  in  an  old  orchard  in 
Illinois.  The  cankerworm  had  so  taken  posses- 
sion that  the  orchard  looked  almost  as  if  burned 
over.  Forty  different  kinds  of  birds  assem- 
bled in  the  place  to  feed  upon  the  worms.  One 
hundred  and  forty-one  of  the  birds  were  shot  and 
the  contents  of  their  stomachs  examined,  and 
more  than  one  third  of  their  food  was  found  to 
be  canker  worms  ;  the  feathered  army  was  simply 
wiping  out  the  horde  of  worms.  A  similar  case 
occurred  in  Massachusetts,  and  after  the  visit  of 
the  birds  a  good  crop  of  apples  was  raised  in  the 
orchard  which  had  been  devastated. 

It  is  well  known  that,  of  the  various  groups  of 
birds,  the  majority  live  upon  insects ;  and  while 
most  insectivorous  birds  probably  take  some  use- 
ful insects,  as  far  as  they  have  been  studied  but 
few  eat  enough  to  weigh  against  the  large  num- 
ber of  harmful  insects  they  live  on  throughout 
the  year.  Among  the  insect-eaters  are  the  Fly- 
catchers, Warblers,  Woodpeckers,  Nuthatches,  Ori- 
oles, Goatsuckers,  Humrningbirds,Tanagers,  Wax- 
wings,  Gnatcatchers,  Kinglets,  Vireos,  Thrushes, 
Wrens,  Titmice,  Cuckoos,  Swallows,  Shrikes, 
Thrashers,  Creepers,  and  Bluebirds. 


xvill  INTRODUCTION 

It  is  not  generally  known,  however,  that  the 
so-called  seed-eaters  both  feed  their  young  largely 
upon  insects  and  eat  many  themselves ;  nor  is 
it  realized  how  much  good  they  do  by  eating 
weed  seeds.  Prof.  F.  E.  L.  Beal  has  calculated 
that  the  little  Tree  Sparrow  in  Iowa  alone  destroys 
1,720,000  Ibs.  of  noxious  weed  seeds  every  year. 
Moreover,  in  summer  seed-eaters  eat  blueberries, 
huckleberries,  strawberries,  and  raspberries,  and 
distribute  their  seeds  unharmed  over  thousands 
of  acres  which  would  not  otherwise  support  such 
growth. 

These  facts  show  how  important  it  is  that  the 
birds  should  be  protected  and  encouraged,  ex- 
cept in  the  exceedingly  few  cases  where  for  a 
short  time  they  eat  some  one  cultivated  crop  to 
such  excess  that  the  loss  is  not  compensated  by 
the  good  they  do  in  destroying  pests  the  rest  of 
the  year.  The  Department  of  Agriculture,  real- 
izing the  losses  that  often  result  from  the  igno- 
rant sacrifice  of  useful  birds,  constituted  the 
Division  of  Ornithology,  now  a  part  of  the  Biolo- 
gical Survey,  a  court  of  appeal  where  accusations 
against  the  birds  could  be  received  and  investi- 
gated. 

The  method  used  by  the  division  is  the  final 
one  —  the  examination  of  stomach  contents  to 
prove  the  actual  food  of  the  birds.  A  reference 
collection  of  800  kinds  of  seeds  and  1,000  species 
of  insects  has  been  brought  together  for  coinpari- 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

son  in  determining  the  character  of  food-remains 
found. 

After  the  examination  of  about  eighty  birds,  the 
only  one  actually  sentenced  to  death  is  the  Eng- 
lish Sparrow.  Of  all  the  accused  Hawks,  only 
three  have  been  found  guilty  of  the  charges  made 
against  them,  —  the  Goshawk,  Cooper's,  and  the 
Sharp-shinned,  —  while  the  rest  are  numbered 
among  the  best  friends  of  the  fruit-grower  and 
farmer.  Of  the  Woodpeckers,  the  Sapsucker  and 
Red-head  may  be  beneficial  or  injurious,  according 
to  circumstances,  as  is  the  Crow  Blackbird,  but 
the  rest  of  the  family  are  highly  beneficial.  The 
Crow  probably  does  more  good  than  harm  in 
thickly  settled  parts  of  the  country. 

To  most  of  the  remaining  birds  tried,  the  evi- 
dence is  decidedly  creditable.  The  Cherry  Bird 
or  Cedar-bird  is  acquitted  as  doing  more  good 
than  harm ;  and  it  is  proved  that  agriculturists 
owe  especial  protection  and  friendship  to  the 
Robin,  Bluebird,  Phoebe,  Kingbird,  Catbird, 
Swallow,  Brown  Thrasher,  Rose-breasted  Gros- 
beak, House  Wren,  Vireos,  Cuckoos,  Orioles,  Shore 
Lark,  Loggerhead  Shrike,  Wood  Thrush,  Red- 
wing, and  Meadowlark. 

So  far  as  it  has  gone,  the  examination  of  the 
stomach  contents  of  birds  has  proved  that,  ex- 
cept in  rare  cases  where  individuals  attack  culti- 
vated fruits  and  grains,  our  native  birds  preserve 
the  balance  of  nature  by  destroying  weeds  that 


xx  INTRODUCTION 

plague  the  farmer,  and  by  checking  the  insects 
that  destroy  the  produce  of  the  agriculturist. 
The  great  value  of  birds  is  demonstrated.  The 
questions  are,  how  to  attract  them  where  they 
have  disappeared,  and  then  how  to  protect  the 
crops  from  their  occasional  depredations.  Mr. 
Forbush,  who  has  experimented  in  the  matter 
in  Massachusetts,  both  fed  the  birds  and  planted 
bushes  to  attract  them.  He  says:  "It  is  evi- 
dent that  a  diversity  of  plants,  which  encourages 
diversified  insect  life  and  assures  an  abundance 
of  fruits  and 'seeds  as  an  attraction  to  birds,  will 
insure  their  presence." 

The  cultivated  crops  can  be  protected  in  two 
ways  —  either  by  mechanical  devices  that  frighten 
the  birds  away  from  the  fruit  or  grain  fields,  or 
by  the  substitution  of  wild  or  cultivated  foods. 
To  frighten  the  birds  away,  white  twine  can  be 
strung  across  berry  beds ;  string,  hung  with  bits 
of  glittering  waste  tin,  over  fields ;  while  stuffed 
Hawks  and  cats  can  be  kept  in  orchards.  To 
attract  the  birds  from  cultivated  fruit,  it  is  well  to 
plant  some  wild  fruit  that  will  bear  during  the 
weeks  when  the  birds  eat  the  garden  or  orchard 
crops.  In  this  connection  Mr.  Forbush  says  :  "  I 
wish  particularly  to  note  the  fact  that  the  mul- 
berry-trees, which  ripen  their  berries  in  June, 
proved  to  be  a  protection  to  the  cultivated  cher- 
ries, as  the  fruit-eating  birds  seem  to  prefer  them 
to  the  cultivated  cherries,  perhaps  because  they 


INTEODUCTION  xxi 

ripen  somewhat  earlier;  "  and  he  adds:  "I  believe 
it  would  be  wise  for  the  farmer  to  plant  rows  of 
these  trees  near  his  orchard,  and  it  is  possible 
that  the  early  June  berry  or  shadberry  might  also 
be  useful  in  this  respect." 

Professor  Beal,  who  has  charge  of  the  stomach 
examinations  in  the  Biological  Survey,  suggests 
planting  berry  bushes  along  the  roads  and  fences 
and  between  grain  fields. 

To  protect  strawberries  and  cherries  (May  and 
June),  plant  Russian  mulberry  and  June  berry 
or  shadberry. 

To  protect  raspberries  and  blackberries  (July 
and  August),  plant  mulberry,  buckthorn,  elder, 
and  choke-cherry. 

To -protect  apples,  peaches*  grapes  (September 
and  October),  plant  choke-cherries,  elder,  wild 
black  cherry,  and  Virginia  creeper. 

To  protect  winter  fruits,  plant  Virginia  creeper, 
dogwood,  mountain  ash,  bittersweet,  viburnum, 
hackberry,  bay  berry,  and  pokeberry. 

Mulberries  are  eaten  by  the  Flycatchers,  War- 
blers, Vireos,  Cuckoos,  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  Finches, 
Sparrows,  Tanagers,  Waxwings,  Catbirds,  Blue- 
birds, and  Thrushes. 

Potato  beetles  are  eaten  by  the  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak,  Cuckoo,  Quail,  Hairy  Woodpecker, 
Che  wink,  and  Whip-poor-will. 

Tent-caterpillars  (which  do  most  harm  to 
apple  and  cherry  trees)  are  eaten  by  the  Crow, 


xxn  INTRODUCTION 

Chickadee,  Oriole,  Red-eyed  Vireo,  Yellow-billed 
Cuckoo,  Black-billed  Cuckoo,  Chipping  Sparrow, 
and  Yellow  Warbler. 

Cutworms  (which  cut  off  corn,  etc.,  before  it 
is  fairly  started  in  the  spring,  and  are  very  de- 
structive to  grass)  are  eaten  by  the  Robin,  Crow, 
Catbird, Loggerhead  Shrike,  House  Wren,Meadow- 
lark,  Cowbird,  Baltimore  Oriole,  Brown  Thrasher, 
and  Red-winged  Blackbird. 

Ants  (which  spread  plant-lice,  destroy  timber, 
and  infest  houses)  are  the  favorite  food  of 
the  Catbird,  Thrasher,  House  Wren,  and  Wood- 
peckers, and  are  eaten  by  almost  all  land  birds 
except  birds  of  prey. 

Scale  insects  (which  are  a  fruit-tree  pest,  in- 
juring oranges,  olives,  etc.)  are  eaten  by  the  Bush- 
tit,  Woodpeckers,  and  Cedar-bird. 

The  May  beetle  (which  ravages  forest  trees, 
and  also  injures  grain  and  grass  lands)  is  eaten 
by  the  Hermit  Thrush,  Wood  Thrush,  Robin, 
Meadowlark,  Brown  Thrasher,  Bluebird,  Catbird ; 
Blue  Jay,  Crow  Blackbird,  Crow,  Loggerhead 
Shrike,  Mockingbird,  and  Gray-cheeked  Thrush. 

Weevils  (which  injure  grain,  forage,  and  mar- 
ket gardens)  are  eaten  by  the  Crow,  Crow  Black- 
bird, Red-winged  Blackbird,  Baltimore  Oriole, 
Catbird,  Brown  Thrasher,  House  Wren,  Meadow- 
lark,  Cowbird,  Bluebird,  Robin,  Swallows,  Flycatch- 
ers, Mockingbird,  Woodpeckers.  Wood  Thrush, 
Alice's  Thrush,  and  Scarlet  Tanager. 


INTRODUCTION  xxill 

The  chinch  bug  (which  eats  grain  and  wheat) 
is  eaten  by  the  Brown  Thrasher,  Meadowlark, 
Catbird,  Red-eyed  Vireo,  Robin,  and  Bob-white. 

The  wire  worm  (which  causes  heavy  losses  in 
the  cornfield)  is  eaten  by  the  Red-winged  Black- 
bird, Crow  Blackbird,  Crow,  Woodpeckers,  Brown 
Thrasher,  Scarlet  Tanager,  Robin,  Catbird,  Balti- 
more Oriole,  Meadowlark,  and  Cowbird. 

Crane  flies  (which  eat  grass  roots  in  the 
hay  fields)  are  eaten  by  the  Robin,  Catbird, 
Wood  Thrush,  Gray-cheeked  Thrush,  Olive-backed 
Thrush,  Crow,  Crow  Blackbird,  and  Red-winged 
Blackbird. 

Cotton  worms  are  eaten  by  the  Bluebird,  Blue 
Jay,  Red-winded  Blackbird,  Thrushes,  Prairie 
Chicken,  Quail,  Kildeer,  Bobolink,  Mockingbird, 
Cardinal,  Cuckoos,  and  Swallow-tailed  Kite. 

Gypsy  Moth.  —  Mr.  Forbush,  ornithologist  of 
the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Agriculture, 
gives  the  following  list  of  birds  seen  to  feed  on  the 
gypsy  moth:  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  Black-billed 
Cuckoo,  Hairy  Woodpecker,  Downy  Woodpecker, 
Pigeon  Woodpecker,  Kingbird,  Great-crested  Fly- 
catcher, Phoebe,  Wood  Pewee,  Least  Flycatcher, 
Blue  Jay,  Crow,  Baltimore  Oriole,  Purple  Grackle 
or  Crow  Blackbird,  Chipping  Sparrow,  Chewink, 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  Indigo-bird,  Scarlet  Tan- 
ager, Red-eyed  Vireo,  Yellow-throated  Vireo, 
White-eyed  Vireo,  Black-and-white  Warbler,  Yel- 
low Warbler,  Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  Black- 


xxiv  IN  TE  OD  UCTION 

throated  Green  Warbler,  Oven-bird,  Maryland 
Yellow-throated  Warbler,  American  Redstart, 
Catbird,  Brown  Thrasher,  House  Wren,  White- 
breasted  Nuthatch,  Chickadee,  Wood  Thrush, 
American  Robin,  Bluebird,  and  English  Sparrow. 

Grasshoppers  and  crickets  are  eaten  by  the 
Mockingbird,  Thrasher,  Bluebird,  Wrens,  Shore 
Lark,  Goldfinch,  Longspur,  Grasshopper  Sparrow, 
Song  Sparrow,  Junco,  Lark  Sparrow,  Dickcissel, 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  Blue  Grosbeak,  Indigo 
Bunting,  Cardinal,  Chewink,  Bobolink,  Cowbird, 
Red-winged  Blackbird,  Meadowlark,  Baltimore 
Oriole,  Orchard  Oriole,  Rusty  Blackbird,  Crow, 
Blue  Jay,  Kingbird,  Crow  Blackbird,  Whip-poor- 
will,  Nighthawk,  Swift,  Cuckoo, Red-headed  Wood- 
pecker, Flicker,  Barn  Owl,  Great  Horned  Owl, 
Marsh  Hawk,  Sparrow  Hawk,  Gulls,  Swainson's 
Hawk,  Quail,  Shrikes,  Swallows,  Vireos,  Robin, 
Catbird,  Screech  Owl,  Red-shouldered  Hawk, 
Ruffed  Grouse,  Wild  Turkey,  and  Prairie  Hen. 

Army  Worm.  —  In  the  Massachusetts  Crop  Re- 
port for  July,  1896,  Mr.  William  R.  Sessions 
gives  a  list  of  the  birds  he  has  seen  feeding  on 
the  army  worm  during  the  summer :  Kingbird, 
Phoebe,  Bobolink,  Cowbird,  Red-winged  Black- 
bird, Baltimore  Oriole,  Crow  Blackbird,  Chip- 
ping Sparrow,  and  Robin. 

How  TO  KEEP  BIRDS  ABOUT  OUR  HOUSES.  — 
'Protection  from  enemies,  food  to  live  on,  and 


INTRODUCTION  XXV 

suitable  nesting  sites  are  the  three  considerations 
that  determine  a  bird's  place  of  residence.  As 
insects  are  most  numerous  on  cultivated  land, 
about  houses,  gardens,  and  fields  where  crops  are 
grown,  most  birds,  if  not  molested,  prefer  to  live 
where  man  does.  Their  worst  enemies  are  gun- 
ners and  cats.  Gunners  may  be  kept  away  by 
posting  one's  woods  with  signs  forbidding  shoot- 
ing, and  one's  yard  may  be  kept  free  from  cats  by 
fencing.  Mr.  William  Brewster,  president  of  the 
American  Ornithologists'  Union,  has  found  after 
many  experiments  that  the  best  fence  for  the  pur- 
pose is  tarred  fish  net  or  seine,  six  feet  high,  at- 
tached at  the  top  to  flexible  poles  ;  at  the  bottom 
threaded  by  rods  pinned  to  the  ground  by  tent 
pegs.  When  a  cat  jumps  against  this  fence,  the 
poles  bend  toward  her  so  that  she  falls  backwards 
unable  to  recover  herself  or  spring  over. 

When  we  have  protected  our  birds  from  their 
enemies,  the  next  thing  is  to  provide  them  with 
suitable  nesting  places.  They  are  particularly 
fond  of  tangles  of  shrubbery ;  and  by  planting  a 
corner  of  the  yard  with  sunflowers  and  wild  berry- 
bearing  bushes  we  can  at  once  supply  them  with 
food  and  with  good  shelter  for  their  nests.  Pans 
of  water  add  greatly  to  the  comfort  of  birds 
and  attract  them  to  drink  and  bathe.  Birds  like 
Martins,  Bluebirds,  Wrens,  and  Chickadees  will 
usually  occupy  artificial  nesting  places  provided 
for  them  —  such  as  cans,  gourds,  and  bird  houses. 


xxvi  IN  TE  OD  UCTION 

In  the  summer  it  is  a  very  simple  matter  to 
keep  the  birds  about  us  by  supplying  the  neces- 
sary conditions;  but  people  who  live  in  the  coun- 
try can  get  more  pleasure  from  the  companionship 
of  birds  in  winter  than  summer,  and  the  ques- 
tion is  how  to  draw  the  winter  ones  from  the 
woods.  It  can  be  done  very  easily  by  taking  a 
little  pains  to  feed  them. 

Bones  and  a  few  pieces  of  suet  or  the  fat  of 
fresh  pork  nailed  to  a  tree  are  enough  to  attract 
Chickadees,  Nuthatches,  Woodpeckers,  and  Blue 
Jays ;  and  a  rind  of  salt  pork  will  draw  the  salt- 
eating  Crossbills  when  they  are  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. For  food  that  can  be  blown  away  or 
snowed  under  —  such  as  grain,  or  crumbs  from 
the  table  —  it  is  well  to  nail  up  boxes  with  open 
fronts,  placing  them  with  the  back  to  the  prevail- 
ing wind.  As  some  birds  prefer  to  feed  on  the 
ground,  it  is  a  good  thing  to  keep  a  space  clear  of 
snow  under  a  window,  from  which  food  can  be 
thrown  without  disturbing  them :  shy  birds  like 
Grouse  will  come  more  freely  to  corn  or  buck- 
wheat scattered  on  a  barrel  under  the  cover  of  an 
evergreen.  A  window  shelf  protected  by  awning 
is  also  an  admirable  thing. 

Most  of  these  devices  have  been  employed  with 
great  success  by  Mrs.  Davenport,  in  Brattleboro', 
Vermont.  She  has  fed  the  birds  hemp  seed,  sun- 
flower seed,  nuts,  fine-cracked  corn,  and  bread. 
As  wheat  bread  freezes  quickly,  in  very  cold 


INTRODUCTION  xxvii 

weather  she  uses  bread  made*  from  one  third 
wheat  and  two  thirds  Indian  meal. 

Her  flock,  during  the  winter  of  1895-96,  in- 
cluded, as  daily  visitors,  seven  to  ten  Blue  Jays, 
more  than  twenty  Chickadees,  three  Downy  Wood- 
peckers, one  Hairy  Woodpecker,  three  Nuthatches, 
more  than  forty  Tree  Sparrows,  and  one  Junco. 
After  the  first  of  February  new  recruits  joined  her 
band  —  more  Juncos,  Song  Sparrows,  Fox  Spar- 
rows, a  Redpoll  Linnet,  and  two  Red-breasted  Nut- 
hatches ;  and  in  March  a  Swamp  Sparrow  came. 
A  flock  of  Siskins  were  so  tame  that  when  the  seed 
she  threw  to  them'  rattled  on  their  backs,  they 
merely  shook  themselves.  In  March  a  flock  of 
Tree  Sparrows  sang  so  cheerfully  their  chorus 
'  made  the  March  morning  like  June.'  Before 
the  snow  had  gone,  Purple  Finches  came,  and  they 
remained  all  summer.  On  June  15, 1896,  the  birds 
that  came  were  Purple  Finches,  Downy  Wood- 
peckers, Nuthatches,  Robins,  Orioles,  Blue  Jays, 
Chipping  Sparrows,  and  sometimes  a  Scarlet 
Tanager  or  a  Thrush.  Then  followed  the  interest 
of  the  nesting  season,  when  the  old  birds  brought 
their  broods  to  the  house  to  drink  and  bathe.  Alto- 
gether the  response  to  the  hospitality  offered  the 
birds  was  so  eager  that  throughout  the  year  the 
family  almost  never  had  a  meal  by  daylight  with- 
out the  presence  of  birds  on  the  window  shelf. 

The  pleasure  Mrs.  Davenport  gets  from  her 
flock  is  particularly  worthy  of  record,  because 


xxviii  INTRODUCTION 

it  is  open  to  such  a  large  number  of  bird-lovers 
at  the  cost  of  a  little  trouble,  and,  as  she  her- 
self tells  us,  "however  much  one  may  do  for 
the  birds,  that  which  comes  in  the  doing  is  a 
revelation  of  sources  of  happiness  not  before  sus- 
pected." 


FIELD  COLOR  KEY 

TO  ADULT  SPRING  MALES  MENTIONED  IN 
THIS  BOOK. 

I.  BRIGHT  OR  STRIKINGLY-COLORED  BIRDS. 

PAGB 

A.  BLUE  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE  .    .    .     xxix 

B.  RED  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE    .    .    .     xxxi 

C.  YELLOW    OR    ORANGE    CONSPICUOUS    IN 

PLUMAGE xxxiii 

D.  BLACK  OR  BLACK  AND  WHITE  CONSPIC- 

UOUS IN  PLUMAGE xxxviii 

II.  DULL-COLORED  BIRDS. 

A.  OLIVE-GREEN  OR  OLIVE-BROWN   .     .    .       xlii 

B.  GRAY  OR  BLUISH xliii 

C.  BROWN  OR  BROWNISH xlv 

[For  special  keys  to  Hawks  and  Owls,  see  pp.  285,  296.] 

I.    BRIGHT  OR  STRIKINGLY-COLORED   BIRDS. 

A.     BLUE  CONSPICUOUS 

IN  PLUMAGE. 
1.   LARGE  ;  HEAD  CRESTED. 
2.  Upper  parts  and 

band  across  the 

white    under    parts    bluish 

gray ;  white  ring  around  head 

and  neck.    Found  by  water. 

Call,  a  loud  rattle.    Plunges 

into  water  for  fish. 

p.  157.    BELTED  KINGFISHER. 


FIELD  COLOR  KEY 


2'.  Upper  parts  purplish  blue,  black 
ring  around  head  and  neck ; 
wings  and  tail  bright  blue, 
barred  with  black  and  marked 
with  white.  Imitates  cries  of 
Hawks. 


p.  154.     BLUE  JAY. 


1'.  SMALL  ;  HEAD  NOT  CRESTED. 
3-  Body  wholly  blue  or  blue-black. 

4.  Shining  blue-black  ...     p.  48.     PURPLE  MARTIN. 

4'.  Ultramarine  to  cerulean  blue  and  green. 

p.  149.    INDIGO  BUNTING. 

3'.  Body  not  wholly  blue  or  blue-black. 

5.  Under  parts  reddish  brown. 

6.  Upper  parts  steel-blue  ;  tail 
deeply  forked  ;  forehead  chest- 
nut. Often  seen  skimming  low 
over  meadows  for  insects. 

p.  49. 


BARN  SWALLOW. 


6'.  Upper  parts  intense  blue  ;  tail  not  forked  ;  forehead 
blue  like  back.  p.  41.     BLUEBIRD. 

5'.  Under  parts  not  reddish  brown. 
7.  Under   parts   white   throughout  ;  back 
steel-blue.     Nests  in  trees  or  in  bird- 
boxes. 

p.  194.     TREE  SWALLOW. 

7'.  Under  parts  not  white  throughout  ;   back   grayish 
blue. 


FIELD   COLOR  KEY  xxxi 

8.  Throat  and  sides  of  breast  black  ;  back 
uniform,  or  with  black  markings  in  mid- 
dle ;  small  white  spot  on  wing,  which  also 
identifies  the  dull,  buffy  olive  female. 

p.  312.     BLACK-THROATED  BLUE  WARBLER. 

8'.  Throat  and   breast  yellow,  dark  band    on    breast; 
back  with  yellowish  patch  ;  two  white  wing  bars. 

p.  317.     PARULA  WARBLER. 

B.  RED  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE. 

1.  Body  mainly  brownish. 

Cap,  rump,  and  under  parts  pinkish   red. 

Seen  in  flocks  in  winter  ....  p.  236.     REDPOLL. 

V.  Body  not  mainly  brownish. 
2.  GENERAL  COLOR  GREEN  OR  RED. 
3.  Body  mainly  green  or  greenish. 

4.  Scarlet  crown  patch.     Migrant. 

p.  354.    RUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET. 

4'.  No  crown  patch  ;  throat  glancing  ruby- 
red. 

p.  1.     RUBY-THROATED  HUMMINGBIRD. 

3'.  Body  mainly  red. 

5.  Bill  crossed.    Winter  visitors  that  come  in 
flocks  with  yellowish  green  females.   Gen- 
erally seen  on  coniferous  trees,   p.  234.  CROSSBILLS. 

5'.  Bill  not  crossed. 
6.    Wings  and  tail  red. 
7.  Head  with  high  crest ;  bill  thick  and 
red  ;  black  ring  around  base  of  bill. 
Female  brownish  ;    wings   and  tail 
dull  red p.  65.     CARDINAL. 


XXX11 


FIELD  COLOR  KEY 


T.  Head  without  crest  ;  bill  not  thick  or  red  ;  no  black 
around  base  of  bill.  Female  olive-green  and  yel- 
lowish   p.  173.  SUMMER  TANAGER. 

6'.  Wings  and  tail  not  red. 
8.  Wings  and  tail  black,  body  scarlet. 
Female  yellowish  green.     Found  in 
northern  woods  .     .  p.  170.     SCARLET  TANAGER. 

8'.  Wings  and  tail  brownish,  body  pink- 
ish red  ;  bill  short  and  thick. 
9.  Large  ;  winter  visitors. 

p.  231.    PINE  GROSBEAK. 

&.  Small ;   summer  residents. 

p.  148.     PURPLE  FINCH. 

2'.  GENERAL  COLOR  BLACK  OR  BLACK  AND  WHITE. 
10.  Body  black. 

11.  With  red  epaulettes.  Bill  long  and 
pointed  like  an  Oriole's.  Song,  o-ka- 
lee.  Found  in  marshes. 

p.  96.     RED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD. 

11'.  Without  red  epaulettes.  Whole  top  of  head  red  and 

crested  ;  nearly  as  large  as  Crow.    Found  in  forests. 

p.  212.     PILEATED  WOODPECKER. 


10'.  Body  black  and  white. 
12.  Head    wholly    black 

or  red. 

13.  Head  wholly  red; 
throat  red  ;  belly 
white  ;  back  and 
wings  black  and 
white  in  large 
patches.  Often  seen 
on  fence  posts. 

p.  131. 


RED-HEADED  WOODPECKER. 


FIELD  COLOR  KEY  xxxm 

13'.  Head  wholly  black. 
14.  Rose    patch    on    breast  ;    back 
black  ;    rump  and   belly  white  ; 
tail  marked  with  white.    Female 
sparrow-like. 

p.  166.     ROSE-BREASTED  GROSBEAK. 

14'.  Salmon-red  patches  on  breast ;  tail  marked  with 

salmon p.  309.     REDSTART. 

12'.  Head  not  wholly  black  or  red. 

.15.  Top  of  head  red  ;  throat  red  or  reddish. 

16.  Breast  black,  belly  yellow.     Found  from  Massa- 
chusetts northward  in  summer. 

p.  208.     YELLOW-BELLIED  WOODPECKER. 

16'.  No  black  on  breast ;  under  parts  whitish,  washed 
with  red.     Common  in  southern  states. 

p.  211.     RED-BELLIED  WOODPECKER. 

15'.  Top  of  head  not  wholly  red  ;  throat  white. 

17.  Crown  of  head  black  ;  a  small  red  spot  on  each 
side  of  back  of  head;  back  barred  with  white. 

p.  210.     RED-COCKADED  WOODPECKER. 

17'.  Crown  of  head  with  scarlet  band  behind  ;   back 

streaked  with  white. 
18.  Length  9  to  10  inches. 

p.  135.  HAIRY  WOODPECKER. 
18'.  Length  6  to  7  inches. 

p.  137.     DOWNY  WOODPECKER. 

C.     YELLOW  OR    ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS  IN 
PLUMAGE. 

1.   Whole  head,  throat,  and  most  of  back 

black. 

2.  Large  ;  under  parts  orange  ;  no 
salmon  on  wings  or  tail.  Builds 
gray  hanging  nest,  preferably  in 
elms p.  56.  BALTIMORE  ORIOLE. 


xxxiv  FIELD  COLOE  KEY 

2'.  Small ;  under  parts  white,  with  salmon-red 
patches  on  sides  of  breast,  wings,  and  tail. 
Tail,  when  open,  fan-shaped,  showing  sal- 
mon patches. 

p.  309.    REDSTART. 

I'.  Whole  head  not  black. 
3.  CROWN  BLACK. 

4.  Throat  and  breast  black  ;   forehead   and 
cheeks  yellow. 

p.  327.    HOODED  WARBLER. 

4'.  Throat -and  breast  yellow. 
5.  Back  and  under  parts  yellow. 
6.  Wings  and  tail  black  ('Wild  Canary'). 

p.  145.    GOLDFINCH. 


6'.  Wings  and  tail  not  black.     Migrant. 

p.  339.    WILSON'S  WARBLER. 

5'.  Back  olive  ;  sides  of  throat  black.  Hunts 
near  ground.  Song,  a  loud  ringing  klur- 
weey  Tdur-wee,  klur-wee. 

p.  329.     KENTUCKY  WARBLER. 

3'.  CROWN  NOT  BLACK. 
7.  Crown  and  throat  red,  breast  black,  belly  yellow. 

p.  208.    YELLOW-BELLIED  WOODPECKER. 

7'.  Crown  and  throat  not  red. 
8.  Rump  conspicuously  white  or  yellow. 
9.  Rump  white,  breast  with  black  crescent.     Large. 

p.  127.    FLICKER. 


FIELD  COLOE  KEY 


xxxv 


9'.  Rump  yellow.  Small. 
10.  Crown  with  yellow  patch  ;  under 
parts  black,  yellow,  and  white ;  white 
wing  bars  and  white  on  ends  of  tail 
feathers.  First  Warbler  seen  in 
spring  and  last  in  fall. 

p.  310.    YELLOW-RUMPED  WARBLER. 

10'.  Crown  bluish  gray  ;  under  parts  yellow,  heavily 
streaked  with  black  ;  large  blotches  of  white  on 
wings  and  middle  of  tail. 

p.  324.     BLACK  AND  YELLOW  WARBLER. 

8'.  Rump  not  white  or  yellow. 
11.  Throat  and  sides  of  breast  black;  back 
olive-green,    sometimes    spotted   with 
black  ;     cheeks     bright    yellow  ;  tail 
showing  white. 

p.  311.    BLACK-THROATED  GREEN  WARBLER. 


11'.  Throat  yellow. 
12.  Breast  with  solid  black 
crescent  ;  upper  parts 
brown,  streaked.  White 
outer  tail  feathers  seen 
in  flight. 


p.  106.    MEADOWLARK. 


12'.  Breast  without  solid  black  crescent. 
13.  Throat   with   black   spots  or   blotches   forming 
necklace  ;  sides  not  streaked;  back, 
wings,   and    tail    grayish,   without 
white    patches.      Song,     rup-it-che, 
rup-it-che,  rup-it-chitt-it-lit. 

p.  322.    CANADIAN  WARBLER. 


xxxvi  FIELD   COLOR  KEY 

13'.  Throat  without  necklace. 
14.  Sides    of   face  and    throat    black, 
forming     mask.      Song,    tuitch-ery, 
witch-ery,  witch-ery. 

p.  315.    MARYLAND  YELLOW-THROAT. 

14'.  Sides  of  face  and  throat  without  black  mask. 
15.  Entire  bird  yellow  ;  under  parts 
streaked  with   reddish    brown. 
Common  in   gardens,  orchards, 
and  shrubbery  and  along  streams. 

p.  307.     YELLOW  WARBLER. 

15'.  Entire  bird  not  yellow. 
16.  Back  olive-green. 
17.  Crown  with   patch   of   different 

color. 

18.  Crown  patch  orange  and  yellow, 
,  bordered  by  black. 

p.  356.    GOLDEN-CROWNED  KINGLET. 

18'.  Crown  patch  chestnut ;  under  parts  bright 

yellow. 

19.  Head    bluish   gray  ;    under     parts    un- 
streaked. 

p.  322.     NASHVILLE  WARBLER. 

19'.  Head  not  bluish  gray  ;    sides  of  throat 
and  breast  streaked. 

p.  316.     YELLOW  RED-POLL. 

17'.  Crown  without  color  patch. 
20.  Throat  and  breast  yellow  ;  belly  white  or 

whitish. 

21.  Wing  crossed  by  two  white  bars  ;  eye- 
ring  yellow. 

p.  301.     YELLOW-THROATED  VIREO. 


FIELD  COLOR  KEY  xxxvii 

21'.  Wing  without  bars  ;  eye- 
ring  and  line  to  bill  white  ; 
size  large  ;  song  loud  and 
varied. 

p.  331.    YELLOW-BREASTED  CHAT. 

16'.  Back  not  olive- green. 

22.  Back  marked  by  distinct  color  patch  be- 
tween wings. 

23.  Back    patch    chestnut  ;    cheeks     marked 
with  black;  bird  mainly  yellow, 

Found  in  juniper  thickets   and 
bushy  fields. 

p.  325.    PRAIRIE  WARBLER. 

23'.  Back  patch  yellow  ;  bird   mainly  bluish  ; 
throat  yellow  ;  a  bluish  black 
or  rufous  band  across  breast ; 
belly  white.     Nests   in    gray 
moss. 

p.  317.    PARULA  WARBLER. 

22'.  Back  without  color  patch. 

24.  Throat  with  black  patch;  chin 
white  ;   breast  yellow  ;  back 
brownish.     Common- in  Mis- 
sissippi    valley.       Sings    in 
clover  and  grain  fields. 

p.  224.     DICKCISSEL. 

24'.  Throat  without  black  patch  ;  crown  with 

patch  of  yellow  or  orange. 
25.  Crown     patch    orange ;    back 
mainly     black ;     throat    rich 
orange. 

p.  326.    BLACKBURNIAN  WARBLER. 


xxxvill  FIELD  COLOE  KEY 

25'.  Crown  patch  yellow ;  sides 
chestnut.  Back  streaked  with 
black  ;  throat  white. 

p.  318.     CHESTNUT-SIDED  WARBLER. 

D.     BLACK    OR     BLACK    AND    WHITE     CON- 
SPICUOUS   IN    PLUMAGE. 
1.  MAINLY  OR  WHOLLY  BLACK  OR  BLACK- 
ISH. 

2.   Wholly  black  or  blackish. 
3.  Head  and  neck  naked. 

4.  Skin  of  head  and  neck  red.     Tips 
of    wing     feathers    conspicuously 
separated  in  flight. 

p.  263.    TURKEY  VULTURE. 

4'.  Skin  of  head  and  neck  black. 

p.  265.    BLACK  VULTURE. 

3'.  Head  and  neck  not  naked. 

5.  Large  ;  plumage  always  black,    pp.  11,  16.    CROWS. 

5'.  Small ;  plumage  rusty  in  fall. 

p.  101.    RUSTY  BLACKBIRD. 

2'.  Not  wholly  black  or  blackish. 
6.  Head  and  neck  brown  or  purplish. 

7.  Head  and  neck  brown      .     .     .     .  p.  98.     COWBIRD. 

7'.  Head  and  neck  purplish. 

p.  93.     CROW  BLACKBIRDS. 
6'.  Head  and  neck  not  brown  or  purplish. 

8.  Red  patches  on  shoulders. 

p.  96.     RED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD. 

8'.  No  red  patches  on  shoulders. 
9.  Back  marked  with  white. 
10.  Under  parts  and  top  of  head  wholly 
black  ;  back  of  neck  with  cream- 
buff  patch  ;  back  largely  whitish. 

p.  103.     BOBOLINK. 


FIELD  COLOR  KEY  xxxix 

10'.  Under   parts  not   wholly   black  ;  throat   black  ; 
rose  patch  on  breast  ;  belly  and  rump  white. 

p.  166.     ROSE-BREASTED  GROSBEAK. 

9'.  Back  not  marked  with  white. 
11.  Throat  black,  belly  white. 
12.  Sides  brown;  tail  showing  white. 
Seen     scratching    among  dead 
leaves  on  ground. 

p.  181.     CHEWINK. 

12'.  Sides    salmon  ;  tail    showing   salmon  blotches. 
Seen  flitting  about  undergrowth. 

p.  309.    REDSTART. 

1'.    NOT  MAINLY  OR  WHOLLY  BLACK. 

2.   Wholly  black  and  white. 
3.  Striped  ;  head  and  under  parts  not  clear 
white. 

4.  Cap  solid  black. 

p.  321.    BLACK-POLL  WARBLER. 

4'.  Cap  striped  black  and  white.     Seen  on 
tree  trunks. 

p.  314.     BLACK  AND  WHITE  CREEPING  WARBLER. 

3'.  Not  striped  ;  head   and   under 
parts  clear  white. 

5.  Size  large  ;  tail  deeply  forked. 
A   southern   bird   of   the   air. 
Casual  in  Massachusetts. 

p.  283.     SWALLOW-TAILED  KITE. 

5'.  Size  small  ;  tail  not  forked  ;  seen  in 
flocks  in  winter,  at  which  season  its 
back  is  brownish. 

p.  223.     SNOWFLAKE. 


xl  FIELD  COLOR  KEY 

2'.  Not  wholly  black  and  white. 
6.  UNDER  PARTS  MAINLY  YELLOW  OR  ORANGE. 
7.  Throat  black. 

8.  Rest  of  under  parts  orange  ;  upper  parts  black  and 
orange p.  56.     BALTIMORE  ORIOLE. 

8'.  Rest  of  under  parts  yellow  ;  head  yellow  and  black, 
back  olive  ....  p.  327.     HOODED  WARBLER. 

7'.  Throat  not  black. 

9.  Under  parts  without  markings. 
10.  Head  with  black  cap. 

11.  Wings  and  tail  black .     .  p.  145.     GOLDFINCH. 

11'.  Wings  and  tail  olive-green. 
12.  No  black  on  throat. 

p.  339.    WILSON'S  WARBLER. 

12'.  Black  lines  on  sides  of  throat. 

p.  329.     KENTUCKY  WARBLER. 

10'.  Head  without  black  cap  ;  a  black  band  across  fore- 
head and  cheeks. 

p.  315.    MARYLAND  YELLOW-THROAT. 

9'.  Under  parts  with  markings  ;   head  without  black 

cap. 

13.  Throat  and  crown  red  ;  breast  black,  belly  yel- 
low .     .  p.  208.   YELLOW-BELLIED  WOODPECKER. 

13'.  Throat  and  crown  not  red. 
14.  Back  black  •  wings  and  tail  showing  white. 

15.  Throat  and  crown-patch  orange. 

p.  326.     BLACKBURNIAN  WARBLER. 

15'.  Throat  yellow  ;  crown  bluish  gray. 

p.  324.     BLACK  AND  YELLOW  WARBLER. 

14'.  Back  not  black. 

16.  Size  large  ;  black   crescent   on  breast  ;  upper 
parts  brownish  ...  p.  106.    MEADOWLARK. 


FIELD   COLOR  KEY  xli 

16'.  Size  small ;  breast  with  necklace  of  black  spots  ; 
upper  parts  gray. 

p.  322.    CANADIAN  WARBLER. 

6'.  UNDER  PARTS  NOT  MAINLY  YELLOW  OR  ORANGE. 
17.  Top  of  head  red. 

18.  Back   uniformly    barred    with   black   and   white; 
under  parts  whitish,  washed  with  red. 

p.  211.     RED-BELLIED  WOODPECKER. 

18'.  Back  divided  into  black  and  white  areas  ;  whole 
head  and  throat  red  ;   belly  white. 

p.  131.     RED-HEADED  WOODPECKER. 

IT.  Top  of  head  not  red. 

19.  Breast  and  belly  chestnut ;  whole  head,  throat,  and 
most  of  back  black  .     .  p.  61.   ORCHARD  ORIOLE. 

19'.  Breast   and   belly  not  chestnut ;  whole  head  not 

black. 

20.  Front  of  head  and  throat  white  ;  back  of  head  and 
neck  blackish  ;  rest  of  body  mainly  grayish  ;  plu- 
mage soft  and  fluffy.  Northern  birds. 

p.  217.     CANADA  JAY. 

20'.  Front  of  head  and  throat  not  white  ;  back  of  head 

and  neck  not  blackish. 
21.  Upper  parts  blue. 

22.  Head  crested  ;  throat  gray  with  black  collar. 

p.  154.     BLUE  JAY. 

22'.  Head  not  crested  ;  throat  and  sides  black. 

p.  312.     BLACK-THROATED  BLUE  WARBLER. 

21'.  Upper  parts  not  blue. 

23.  Throat  white,  sides  of  breast  and  rump  yellow  ; 
breast  black. 

p.  310.     YELLOW-RUMPED  WARBLER. 


xlii  FIELD  COLOR  KEY 

23'.  Throat  and  sides  of  breast  black  ;  sides  of  head 
yellow, 
p.  311.    BLACK-THROATED  GREEN  WARBLER. 

II.    DULL-COLORED  BIRDS. 

PAGE 

A.  OLIVE-GREEN  OR  OLIVE-BROWN.     .     .     .   xlii 

B.  GRAY  OR  BLUISH xliii 

C.  BROWN  OR  BROWNISH xlv 

A.     OLIVE-GREEN  OR  OLIVE-BROWN. 

1.  UNDER  PARTS  SPOTTED.   . 
2.  Crown  with  cap  of  different  color. 

Crown  golden,  bordered  by  black  lines. 
Common  in  dry  woodlands.  Song,  a  cres- 
cendo teach,  or  teacher,  teacher,  teacher, 
teacher.  p.  333.  OVEN-BIRD. 

2'.  Crown  without  cap  of  different  color. 
3.  White     line     over  •  eye  ;     under    parts 
streaked  with  black,  except  on  throat  and 
middle  of  belly.     Wild,  shy  bird,  difficult 
to  approach. 

p.  336.     LOUISIANA  WATER- THRUSH. 

3'.  Buffy  line  over  eye  ;  under  parts  — *-  in- 
cluding throat  —  streaked  with  black. 
Comparatively  tame  and  unsuspicious. 

p.  335.     WATER-THRUSH. 

1'.  UNDER  PARTS  NOT  SPOTTED. 
4.  Head  striped  ;  top  of  head  with  four  black 
lines    alternating  with    yellowish    lines. 
Found  in  dry,  open  woodland,  near  the 
ground  ....  p.  337.     WORM-EATING  WARBLER. 

4'.  Head  not  striped. 
5.  Crown  with  red  or  orange  patch.      p.  357.     KINGLETS. 


FIELD  COLOR  KEY  xliii 

5'.  Crown  without  red  or  orange  patch. 
6.  With  wing  bars. 

7.  Conspicuous  yellow  ring   around  eye  ;   eye  white. 
Found   in   undergrowth.     Song   emphatic  :    "  Who 
are  you,  eh?".     .     .  p.  302.    WHITE-EYED  VIREO. 

7'.  No  yellow  ring  around  eye  ;  eye  dark.     Found  by 
streams  in  woods.     Call,  pe-ah-yuk'. 

p.  254.     ACADIAN  FLYCATCHER, 

6'.  Without  wing  bars. 

8.  White  line  over  eye. 

Cap  gray,  bordered  by  blackish. 
Song  broken  and  in  triplets.    Common 
everywhere  in  trees. 

p.  120.     RED-EYED  VIREO. 

8'.  No  white  line  over  eye. 

Head  and  back  uniform  olive-gray. 
Song  a  sweet  flowing  warble.  Found 
high  in  village  elms. 

p.  126.    WARBLING  VIREO. 

B.     GRAY  OR  BLUISH  GRAY. 
1.  PLUMAGE  DISTINCTLY  MARKED  WITH  BLACK. 
2.  Throat  black. 

Cap  black,  back  gray.     Call,  cUck-a-dee. 

pp.  67,  71.     CHICKADEES. 

2'.  Throat  not  black. 
3.  Back  bluish. 
4.  Top   of  head  black  ;  seen  on  tree 

trunks. 

5.  Under  parts  white  ;  no  line  on  side 
of  head.  Common  resident  from 
Gulf  states  to  Canada. 

p.  73.    WHITE-BREASTED  NUTHATCH. 


xliv 


FIELD   COLOR   KEY 


5'.  Under  parts  brown  ;  black  line  on  side 
of  head.  Winter  visitor  ;  nests  mainly 
in  mountains,  or  north  of  United  States. 

p.  76.     RED-BREASTED  NUTHATCH. 
4'.  Top  of  head  bluish  ;  not  seen  on  tree  trunks. 
Tail  black  ;  outer   feathers  white.     Flits 
about  actively,  catching  insects. 

p.  357.     BLUE-GRAY  GNATCATCHER. 
3'.  Back  gray  or  slate. 
6.  Crown  gray  like  back  ;  black  bar  on 
side    of    face  ;    sides    of    tail   white. 
Perches  in  exposed  positions. 

p.  300.     SHRIKES. 

6'.  Crown  black  ;  no  black  on  face  ;  no 
white  on  tail  ;  under  parts  slate  ; 
under  tail  patch  reddish  brown.  Fre- 
quents thickets. 

p.  6. 
[.'  PLUMAGE    NOT     DISTINCTLY    MARKED 

WITH  BLACK. 
7.  Outer   tail    feathers   white  ;    head   not 

crested. 

8.  Back  and  breast  slate  gray  ;  belly 
abruptly  white.  Common,  familiar 
Snowbird. 

p.  221. 


CATBIRD. 


JUNCO. 


8'.  Back  lighter  gray  ;  breast  and  belly 
white  ;  size  large.  A  well-known 
bird  of  the  southern  states. 

p.  63.    MOCKINGBIRD. 

7'.  Outer  tail  feathers  not  white  ;  head  with 
high  crest  ;  size  small.  Song,  pe-to,  pe-to,' 
pe-to. 

p.  151.    TUFTED  TITMOUSE. 


FIELD   COLOE   KEY 


xlv 


C.     BROWN  OR  BROWNISH. 

1.    SIZE  RATHER  LARGE. 

2.   Conspicuous  white  patches  on  wings,  tail,  or  rump. 
3.  Wings  long  and  pointed. 

4.  Wings  marked  with  white  bar  ;  no  white  on  rump  ; 
tail  forked  ;  throat  white  ;  no  bristles  at  base  of 
bill.  Call,  peent,  heard  as  bird  flies  high  in  air. 


188.     NIGHTHAWK. 


4'.  Wings  not   marked  with  white  bar  ;   rump  white  ; 
tail  not  forked     .     .     .     .p.  278.     MARSH  HAWK. 

3'.  Wings  rather  short  and  rounded,  not  marked  with 

white  ;  tail  not  forked. 

5.  Rump  white  ;  under  side  of  wings  and  tail  yellow  ; 
black  crescent  on  breast     ...  p.  127.     FLICKER. 


5'.  Rump  not  white  ;  under  side  of 

wings  and  tail  not  yellow. 
6.  Throat    blackish,   bordered  by 
white  bar  ;  whole  outer  side  of 
tail  white  ;  conspicuous  bristles 
at  base  of  bill. 

p.  185. 


WHIP-POOR-WILL. 


6'.  Throat  not  blackish  ;  white  of  tail  limited. 
7.   Top  of  head  not  same  color  as  back. 
Forehead  brownish  ;  back  of 
head  bluish  slate;  tail  gradu- 
ated and  showing  white  bor-    ^ 
dering  in  flight. 

p.  29.    MOURNING  DOVE. 


xlvi 


FIELD   COLOE  KEY 


T.  Top  of  head  same  color  as  back. 
8.  Head  and  back   bluish    slate  ;   breast    pinkish. 
Outer  tail  feathers,  only,  showing  grayish  white 
in  flight    .     .     .     .  p.  78.     PASSENGER  PIGEON. 

8'.  Head  and  back  brownish  ;  under  parts  whitish. 
9.  Lower  half  of  bill  yellow ;  outer   tail  feathers 
black,  broadly  tipped  with 
white  ;  wings  largely   ru- 
fous ;  ring  around  eye  yellow. 

p.  160.    YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO. 

9'.  Lower  half  of  bill  black  ;  outer  tail  feathers 
brown,     very    narrowly  •=-, 
tipped  with  white ;  wings 
without     rufous ;     ring 
around  eye  red.  p.  163.  BLACK-BILLED  CUCKOO. 

2'.  No  white  patches  on  wings,  tail,  or 

rump. 

10.  Form  slender  ;  tail  long  ;  upper 
parts  rich  reddish  brown  ;  under 
parts  white,  heavily  streaked 
with  black.  Song  long  and 
varied p.  177.  BROWN  THRASHER. 

10'.  Form  stout,  hen-like ;  tail  not  long  ;  body  covered 
with  markings. 

11.  Neck  with  conspicuous  black 
ruff  ;  end  of  tail  barred, 
p.  32.    RUFFED  GROUSE. 

11'.  Neck  with- 
out ruff  ; 
end  of  tail 
not  barred. 

p.  37.    BOB-WHITE  ;  QUAIL. 
RUFFED  GROUSE. 


FIELD  COLOR  KEY  xlvii 

1'.    SIZE  MEDIUM  OR  SMALL. 

2.  Breast  reddish  brown  or  pinkish. 

3.  Breast  reddish  brown  ;  top  of  head  blackish. 

p.  17.     ROBIN. 

3'.  Breast  and  forehead  pinkish,    p.  31.    GROUND  DOVE. 

2'.  Breast  not  reddish  brown  or  pinkish. 

4.  Tail  ending  in  needle-like  spines  ;  wings  - 
long,  narrow,  an£  curved. 

p.  23.     CHIMNEY  SWIFT. 

4'.  Tail  not  ending  in  needle-like  spines. 
5.  Head  with  high  crest  ;  end  of  tail  with  yellow  band. 

p.  141.     WAX  WING. 

5'.  Head  without  high  crest  ;  end  of  tail 

without  yellow  band. 
6.  Forehead  and  throat  yellow  ;  a  slen- 
der tuft  of  black  feathers  over  each 
eye  ;   a  black  bar   across  front  of 
head,  and  black  crescent  on  breast. 

p.  261.     HORNED  LARK. 

6'.  Forehead  and  throat  not  yellow  ;  no  tuft  of  fea- 
thers over  eyes  ;  no  black  bar  across  head. 
7.  Tail  with  white  bar  across  end  ;  crown  with  con- 
cealed orange  patch  ;  under  parts  whitish. 

p.  83.     KINGBIRD. 

7'.  Tail  without  white  bar;  crown  without  color  patch. 
8.  Tail    showing    reddish   in    flight  ;   throat   pearl 
gray  ;  belly  yellow  ;  head  moderately  crested. 
p.  255.     GREAT-CRESTED  FLYCATCHER. 


xlviii 


FIELD   COLOR  KEY 


8'.  Tail  not  showing  reddish  in  flight  ;  throat  not 

gray  ;  belly  not  yellow. 
9.  Upper  parts  uniform  brownish  or 
olive-brown  ;  no  spots,  streaks, 
or  bars  above  or  below  ;  usually 
seen  making  short  sallies  into  the 
air  for  insects,  returning  to  the 
same  perch  or  another  convenient  one. 

p.  260.     FLYCATCHERS. 

9'.  Upper  parts  not  uniform  brownish  or  brownish 
olive  ;  body  more  or  less  marked. 


10.  Wings   long  and   powerful  ;   feet  small  and 
weak  ;  usually  seen  on  the  wing. 

p.  196.     SWALLOWS. 

107.  Wings  not  long  and  powerful ;  feet  not  small 

and  weak  ;  not  usually  seen  on  the  wing. 
11.  Tail  stiff  and  pointed, 
used    as    a    prop    in 
climbing.      Seen     on 
tree  trunks   .     .  p.  349.     BROWN  CREEPER. 

11'.  Tail  not  stiff  and  pointed,  and  not  used  as  a 

prop  in  climbing. 
12.  Bill    conical     for    cracking 
seeds  ;  color  variable  ;  most-' 
ly  ground  and  bush-haunting  birds. 

p.  246.    FINCHES  AND  SPARROWS. 

12'.  Bill  slender  for  catching  insects. 

13.  Wagtails  ;       tails      constantly 

wagged  ;  usually  seen  in  flocks 

on     ground.        Hind     toe-nail 

elongated p.  348 


PIPIT. 


FIELD   COLOR  KEY  xlix 

13'.  Not  Wagtails. 

14.  Size  relatively  large  ;  upper  parts  and 
tail  not  barred  or  streaked  ;  breast 
spotted p.  360.  THRUSHES. 

14'.  Size  relatively  small  ;  upper  parts 
or  tail  barred  or  streaked  ;  breast 
not^spotted  ....  p.  205.  WRENS. 


BIRDS   OF  yiLLAGE   AND  FIELD 


I 


J: 

It 


FIG.  1. 
Ruby-throated  Hummingbird  :  Trochilus  colubris. 

Adult  male,  upper  parts,  bright  green;   throat,   metallic  ruby 

red.     Female  and  young,  similar,  but  without  red  on  throat. 

Length,  about  3|  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;   breeds 

from  Florida  to  Labrador  ;  winters  from  southern  Florida  to 

Central  America. 

What  tantalizing  little  sprites  these  airy  dart- 
ers are  !    Quietly  feeding  before  the  trumpet-vine 


2  RUBY-THROATED  HUMMINGBIRD 

over  the  piazza  one  moment,  gone  with  a  whirr 
the  next,  where,  how  far,  who  can  say?  As  the 
mother  bird  vanishes  and  reappears,  reappears 
and  vanishes,  it  becomes  plain  that  she  is  carry- 
ing food  to  her  young.  Her  nest  is  the  most 
exquisite  of  all  the  beautiful  structures  of  winged 
architects,  her  domestic  life  and  ways  of  caring 
for  her  young  among  the  most  original  and  curi- 
ous. Surely  the  patience  of  the  bird-lover  should 
be  equal  to  the  task  of  discovering  her  home. 
When  found,  it  proves  to  be,  like  its  builder,  the 
smallest  of  its  kind,  a  thimble  of  plant-down 
coated  with  delicate  green  lichen,  formed  and 
decorated  with  wonderful  skill,  and  saddled  so 
dextrously  to  a  bough  that  it  would  seem  but  a 
part  of  the  tree  itself.  When  the  eggs  are  first 
laid,  their  white  shells  are  so  thin  as  to  be  almost 
transparent,  and  when  the  young  come  out  of  the 
little  white  pearls  it  seems  a  seven  days'  marvel 
that  such  mites  can -ever  become  birds. 

It  takes  three  full  weeks  for  them  to  reach 
man's  estate  and  leave  the  nest.  During  that 
time  the  care  of  the  mother  is  most  interesting. 
She  is  certainly  kept  busy,  for  sixteen  young 
spiders  have  been  found  in  the  stomach  of  a  nest- 
ling only  two  days  old.  The  Hummer  feeds  the 
young  by  regurgitation,  plunging  her  needle-like 
bill  into  their  tiny  throats  — '  a  frightful-look- 
ing act,'  as  Mr.  Torrey  says.  When  she  finds 
the  brood  ready  to  leave  the  nest,  her  anxiety 


EUBY-THEOATED  HUMMINGBIRD  3 

becomes  so  great  that  her  nerves  quite  get  the 
better  of  her.  One  mother  bird  Mr.  Torrey  was 
watching  at  such  a  time  went  so  far  as  to  leave 
her  tree  and  fly  tempestuously  at  an  innocent 
Sparrow,  driving  him  well  out  of  the  tomato 
patch. 

When  her  young  were  fairly  launched  upon  the 
world,  her  happiness  was  shown  by  a  most  re- 
markable exhibition  of  'maternal  ecstasy.'  She 
came  intending  to  feed  a  nestling  perched  on  a 
branch,  but  then,  as  a  human  mother  unexpect- 
edly stops  to  caress  her  little  one,  she  opened  her 
wings  and  circled  around  her  little  bird's  head. 
Lighting  beside  him,  her  feelings  again  overcame 
her,  and  she  rose  and  flew  around  him  once  more. 
As  Mr.  Torrey  writes,  "  It  was  a  beautiful  act,  .  .  . 
beautiful  beyond  the  power  of  any  words  of  mine 
to  set  forth ;  .  .  .  the  sight  repaid  all  my  watch- 
ings  thrice  over,  and  even  now  I  feel  my  heart 
growing  warm  at  the  recollection  of  it."  "  Strange 
thoughtlessness,  is  it  not,"  he  asks  pertinently, 
"  which  allows  mothers  capable  of  such  passionate 
devotion  —  tiny,  defenseless  things  —  to  be  slaugh- 
tered by  the  million  for  the  enhancement  of 
woman's  charms  ! " 

While  the  mother  is  so  devotedly  caring  for  her 
little  ones,  what  is  the  father  doing  ?  That  seems 
to  be  the  question.  Mr.  Torrey  has  been  look- 
ing up  the  matter,  and  in  '  The  Footpath  Way ' 
tells  us  that  out  of  fifty  nests  of  which  he  has  had 


4  RUBY-THROATED  HUMMINGBIRD 

reports,  only  two  were  favored  by  the  presence 
of  the  male,  as  far  as  the  evidence  went.  On 
the  other  hand,  Mr.  Torrey  himself  watched  one 
male  who,  whether  a  householder  or  a  bachelor, 
devoted  himself  most  assiduously  to  doing  no- 
thing. Hour  after  hour,  day  after  day,  and  week 
after  week,  he  was  found  perching  in  the  same 
tree,  apparently  scarcely  allowing  himself  time  for 
three  meals  a  day.  Here  certainly  are  mysteries 
worth  clearing  up.  Such  conduct  must  not  pass 
unchallenged.  Let  each  field  student  hie  forth 
with  glass  and  book,  and  wrest  from  these  un- 
natural Benedicts  full  accounts  of  themselves. 

It  is  not  in  its  home  life  alone  that  the  Hum- 
mingbird is  interesting.  We  can  hardly  see  one 
without  being  filled  with  wonder.  While  stand- 
ing in  the  garden  watching  the  '  burly  dozing 
humblebee '  wandering  in  '  waving  lines '  from 
flower  to  flower,  who  has  not  been  startled  by  the 
sudden  vision  of  a  whizzing  Hummer  darting  past 
straight  to  some  favorite  blossom  ?  How  do  these 
little  flower-lovers  work  together  —  does  the  world 
hold  blooms  enough  for  bee  and  bird,  or  can  the 
bee  glean  when  the  Hummingbird  has  done  ? 
This  much  we  know :  while,  as  Emerson  says,  the 
bee  is  4  sipping  only  what  is  sweet,'  the  Hummer 
is  probing  for  tiny  gauzy  wings  hidden  in  the 
sweet. 

And,  whatever  their  own  wants,  both  little  crea- 
tures are  at  work  helping  to  carry  out  the  mar- 


RUBY-THROATED  HUMMINGBIRD  5 

velous  ends  of  the  great  mother  Nature  ;  for  while 
the  plants  supply  them  with  food,  they  in  turn 
leave  the  flowers  laden  with  rich  pollen,  carrying 
it  on  their  rounds,  and  leaving  it  where  it  will 
give  new  life  to  other  blossoms. 

How  perfectly  the  little  feathered  messenger  is 
fitted  for  his  task !  See  the  long  bill  that  enables 
him  to  probe  the  flower  tubes.  Watch  him  as  he 
feeds  before  a  honeysuckle.  There  he  stands  as 
steadily  as  though  perched  on  a  branch,  held 
up  by  the  whirring  mill  fan-wings  whose  rapid 
motion  renders  them  almost  invisible.  What 
power  is  lodged  in  those  inch-long  feathers !  In 
autumn  they  will  bear  him  away  over  rivers,  over 
mountains,  far  from  the  snow-covered  north,  to 
the  land  of  the  orange  and  palm. 

In  nature  the  race  is  to  the  swift,  and  surely 
these  little  Hummingbirds  are  well  fitted  to  com- 
pete with  their  fellows.  Even  their  dress  is  per- 
fectly adapted  to  the  conditions  of  their  lives. 
To  attract  the  favor  of  his  lady,  the  Hummingbird 
wooer  has  a  throat  of  flaming  ruby ;  while  she,  to 
whom  a  flashing  gorget  would  bring  danger  at 
the  nest,  is  clad  in  quiet  green ;  and  the  young, 
untaught  in  the  ways  and  dangers  of  the  great 
world,  are  dressed  in  the  inconspicuous  tints  of 
their  mother. 


CATBIRD 


FIG.  2. 

Catbird  :   Galeoscoptes  carolinensis. 

Body,  slate  gray ;  cap  and  tail,  black ;  patch  under  base  of  tail, 
reddish  brown.  Length,  about  9  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  the  northern  por- 
tion of  the  Gulf  states  to  New  Brunswick  ;  west  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  Saskatchewan ;  winters  from  Florida 
southward  to  Panama. 

To  any  one  who  really  knows  him,  it  seems 
almost  incredible  that  this  much  loved  bird  of 
our  gardens  and  homes,  this  Mockingbird  of  the 
north,  should  be  the  subject  of  persecution,  but  so 
it  often  is ;  for  however  much  the  birds  trust  us, 
and  whatever  pleasure  they  give  us,  if  they  chance 
to  help  themselves  to  ever  so  little  of  our  fruit  — 
material  creatures  that  we  are  —  all  the  rest  is 


CATBIED  1 

forgotten,  and  they  are  at  once  doomed.  Ordi- 
narily the  Catbirds  take  such  a  small  fraction  of 
the  growing  fruit  that  we  should  be  glad  to  share 
with  them,  and  even  when  they  take  more,  a  third 
of  their  diet  for  the  year  is  still  made  up  of  inju- 
rious insects.  Putting  aside  all  sentiment,  how- 
ever, as  a  simple  matter  of  economics  it  is  bad 
policy  to  destroy  any  bird,  except  as  a  last  resort. 
As  has  been  said  by  Mr.  Judd,  one  of  the  govern- 
ment examiners  of  their  food,  "  by  killing  the 
birds  their  services  as  insect-destroyers  would  be 
lost,  so  the  problem  is  to  keep  both  the  birds  and 
the  fruit."  The  study  of  this  problem  has  led 
to  a  most  important  discovery,  that  some  birds, 
the  Catbird  among  the  number,  actually  prefer 
wild  fruit  to  cultivated.  Most  of  the  complaints 
of  depredations  come  from  parts  of  the  country 
where  there  is  little  wild  fruit.  From  this  it  will 
be  seen  that  by  planting  berry-bearing  bushes 
and  trees  it  may  be  possible  to  prevent  losses  to 
cultivated  fruits,  and  at  the  same  time  attract 
more  birds,  and  so  secure  their  much-needed  help 
in  destroying  insect  pests.  A  slight  idea  of  the 
good  the  Catbird  does  in  destroying  pests  may 
be  had  from  the  fact  that  30  grasshoppers  have 
been  found  in  each  of  5  Catbird  stomachs,  while 
one  third  of  the  bird's  food  is  made  up  of  in- 
sects. Experiments  have  shown  that  he  prefers 
the  red  mulberry  to  cherries  and  strawberries  ; 
and  stomach  examinations  show  that  he  eats  twice 


8  CATBIRD 

as  much  wild  fruit  as  cultivated.  He  is  reported 
to  do  much  more  harm  in  the  central  United 
States,  where  wild  fruits  are  scarce,  than  near 
the  coast,  where  they  are  abundant.  Mr.  Judd 
suggests  that  where  he  does  damage  to  cherries 
and  strawberries,  such  crops  can  be  protected  by 
planting  the  prolific  Russian  mulberry,  which  also 
affords  good  food  for  domestic  fowls.  In  speak- 
ing of  the  Catbird's  diet,  Mr.  Nehrling,  who  has 
made  a  special  study  of  the  food  of  birds,  assures 
us  that  the  Catbird's  "  usefulness  as  a  destroyer  of 
innumerable  noxious  insects  cannot  be  estimated 
too  highly,"  that  "  it  is  a  service  compared  with 
which  the  small  allowance  of  fruit  it  steals  is  of 
little  importance ; "  for  "  from  early  morning  to 
sunset  it  watches  over  the  fruit-trees  and  kills 
the  insects  that  would  destroy  them  or  their 
fruit."  "  Of  course  it  takes  its  share,  especially 
of  cherries,  but  for  every  one  it  takes,  it  eats 
thousands  of  insects  ;  "  and  the  economist  con- 
cludes wisely,  "  Where  there  are  no  small  birds 
there  will  be  little  fruit."  When  feeding  their 
young,  the  Catbirds  are  continually  bringing  them 
numbers  of  caterpillars,  grasshoppers,  moths,  bee- 
tles, spiders,  and  other  insects,  and  in  the  south 
the  numbers  are  doubled,  as  the  birds  raise  two 
broods. 

The  old  birds  often  begin  preparing  for  the 
second  family  a  few  days  after  the  first  has  left 
the  nest;  but,  while  the  female  is  engaged,  the 


CATBIRD  9 

male  takes  care  of  the  first  brood,  warning,  feed- 
ing, and  guiding  them  till,  by  the  time  the  second 
brood  claim  the  father's  attention,  the  first  know 
how  to  care  for  themselves.  "  That  the  parents 
love  their  young  exceedingly,"  as  Mr.  Nehrling 
says,  "  is  evident  on  approaching  the  nest.  With 
anxious  cries,  with  ruffled  plumage,  and  drooping 
wings  they  flutter  about  the  intruder."  If  re- 
assured by  kindness,  though,  they  become  very 
trustful,  and  discriminate  only  against  those  they 
do  not  know.  One  pair  which  the  ornithologist 
watched  "  would  allow  even  the  children  to  look 
at  their  eggs  and  young  without  becoming  in  the 
least  uneasy  and  frightened.  They  certainly  knew 
that  they  were  protected  and  that  the  children 
too  loved  them.  But  as  soon  as  a  stranger  ap- 
proached the  structure  they  screamed  so  loudly 
and  evinced  such  noisy  distress  that  the  chick- 
ens in  the  barnyard  cackled,  and  old  hens  hurried 
to  get  their  broods  in  safety."  In  protecting 
their  young  against  cats  and  snakes  in  the  woods 
and  thickets,  the  birds  make  such  a  commotion 
they  warn  other  birds  and  even  quadrupeds  of 
impending  danger.  The  nest  which  the  Catbird 
defends  with  so  much  courage  is  a  bulky  mass  of 
twigs,  grasses,  and  dead  leaves,  and  is  lined  with 
rootlets  ;  a  very  different  type  from  the  compact, 
delicate  little  cup  of  the  Hummingbird.  But  if 
there  is  any  lack  of  beauty  in  the  nest  itself,  it  is 
made  up  by  the  eggs,  which  are  a  rich  greenish 


10  CATBIRD 

blue,  and  might  well  excite  the  pride  of  any 
mother  bird. 

While  the  Catbird's  reputed  power  of  mimicry 
is  very  great,  some  consider  its  song  almost 
entirely  original.  Besides  the  song,  and  the  mew- 
ing call  that  has  given  the  bird  its  name,  Mr. 
Bicknell,  in  his  valuable  paper  on  '  The  Singing 
of  our  Birds,'  calls  attention  to  another  "  charac- 
teristic vocal  accomplishment  —  a  short,  sharp, 
crackling  sound,  like  the  snapping  of  small  fag- 
ots" —  which,  he  adds,  is  heard  in  the  dog  days, 
and  is  generally  given  hurriedly  as  the  bird  seeks 
the  security  of  some  bushy  patch,  or  darts  into  the 
thick  cover  along  the  road. 

For  several  summers  one  of  these  friendly  birds 
was  the  chorister  and  companion  of  a  gentle  old 
lady,  a  lover  of  birds  and  flowers,  who  lived  alone 
in  a  cottage  hidden  behind  an  old-fashioned  gar- 
den, whose  rose-covered  trellises  and  rich  masses 
of  fragrant  blooming  lilacs,  flowering  shrubs,  and 
encircling  trees  made  a  favorite  resting-place  for 
feathered  travelers  in  spring  and  fall,  and  the 
chosen  home  of  many  birds  in  summer.  Of  all 
those  that  built  in  the  garden,  the  Catbird  was  the 
pet  and  comrade  of  the  garden's  hospitable  owner. 
When  she  threw  open  her  blinds  in  the  morning, 
he  would  fly  up  and  call  till  she  came  out  and 
answered  him  ;  then  he  would  seat  himself  con- 
tentedly and  pour  out  his  morning  song.  During 
the  day  he  would  often  call  her  to  the  window  or 


AMERICAN  CROW  11 

door  in  the  same  way,  never  resting  till  she 
whistled  back  to  him.  His  nest  was  in  a  tangle 
beside  the  garden  fence,  which  ran  under  a  cover 
of  bushes  ;  and  after  he  had  promenaded  back  and 
forth  on  it  all  day,  attending  to  his  domestic 
duties,  at  sunset  he  would  fly  to  his  favorite 
branch  in  the  garden  to  sing  before  his  sympa- 
thetic friend.  And  so,  through  the  soft  twilight, 
as  she  sat  alone  looking  out  upon  the  flaming 
poppies,  opening  yellow  primroses,  and  tall  stately 
lilies,  cheered  and  enraptured  she  would  listen  to 
his  impassioned  sunset  song.  That  the  friendly 
bird  was  really  attracted  to  the  garden  by  his 
love  of  human  companionship  was  shown  pre- 
sumably one  spring,  for  his  gentle  mistress  was 
away  from  home  when  he  came  north,  and  though 
the  garden  was  blooming,  it  apparently  seemed 
deserted  to  him,  for  he  went  elsewhere  to  build 
his  nest.  When  the  old  lady  returned  she  missed 
him  sadly,  but  later  she  was  satisfied  that  it  was 
he  who  sometimes  appeared  in  the  garden  at  sun- 
set and  sang  to  her  in  the  home  trees. 

American  Crow  :  Corvus  americanus. 

Entirely  black,  with  steel-blue  or  purplish  reflections.     Length, 

about  19j  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  from  the  fur 

countries  to  Mexico  ;  winters  from  the  northern  United  States 

southward. 

Crows  are  known  to  every  one,  and  most  of  us 
have  seen  long  lines  of  them  straggling  across  the 


12  AMERICAN   CROW 

sky  at  sunset,  and  have  watched  the  black  proces- 
sions, more  scattered  and  flying  low,  as  the  birds 
returned  looking  for  food  the  following  morn- 
ing. The  country  people  tell  us  they  are  going 
to  a  Crow  caucus,  and  perhaps  that  is  as  near  the 
truth  as  we  can  guess ;  fory  if  they  do  not  gather 
to  talk  things  over,  it  is  surely  the  social  instinct 
that  moves  them.  In  some  places,  as  many  as 
300,000  gather  at  these  nightly  roosts,  scattering 
to  their  feeding  grounds  when  morning  comes. 
One  of  the  winter  roosts  is  on  historic  ground 
at  Arlington,  the  old  home  of  General  Lee.  This 
roost  covers  fifteen  acres  of  land,  and  all  winter, 
from  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  till  twilight,  the 
birds  may  be  seen  from  Washington  crossing  over 
the  Potomac  to  the  heights  beyond.  Some  years 
ago  Staten  Island  was  visited  by  birds  from  three 
New  Jersey  roosts  in  winter,  and  in  summer  there 
were  two  roosts  on  the  island  itself. 

When  the  Crows  scatter  to  nest,  scarecrows 
appear  in  the  country,  for  the  farmers  are  much 
troubled  by  the  sight  of  the  birds  in  the  corn- 
fields. Professor  Beal  acknowledges  that  when 
Crows  and  Blackbirds  gather  in  great  numbers 
about  cornfields,  or  Woodpeckers  are  noticed  at 
work  in  an  orchard,  it  is  perhaps  not  surprising 
that  they  are  accused  of  doing  harm.  But  he 
adds  that  careful  investigation  will  often  show 
that  they  are  actually  destroying  noxious  insects, 
and  that  even  those  which  do  harm  at  one  season 


AMERICAN  CROW  13 

may  compensate  for  it  by  eating  noxious  species 
at  another.  When  the  Crows  are  actually  eating- 
corn,  however,  the  dangling,  dejected-looking 
effigies  put  out  to  scare  them  have  little  effect ; 
but  cords  strung  across  a  field,  and  hung  with 
bits  of  tin  that  swing  and  glitter  in  the  sun,  seem 
to  suggest  a  trap,  and  so  keep  the  wary  birds 
away.  A  still  surer  method  of  crop  protection  is 
to  soak  some  corn  in  tar  and  scatter  it  on  the 
borders  of  the  field  subject  to  their  attacks.  A 
few  quarts  of  corn  used  in  this  way  will  protect  a 
field  of  eight  to  ten  acres. 

Professor  Seal's  conclusions  regarding  this 
much-discussed  bird  are,  that  "  in  the  more  thickly 
settled  parts  of  the  country  the  Crow  probably 
does  more  good  than  harm,  at  least  when  ordi- 
nary precautions  are  taken  to  protect  newly 
planted  corn  and  young  poultry  against  his  de- 
predations. If,  how- 
ever, corn  is  planted 
with  no  provision 
against  possible  ma- 
rauders, if  hens  and 
turkeys  are  allowed 
to  nest  and  to  roam  FlG-  3- 

..,.,.      ,  T  Grasshopper,  eaten  extensively  by 

with  their  broods  at  '  Crowg 

a  distance  from  farm 

buildings,  losses  must  be  expected."  It  cer- 
tainly seems  worth  while  to  take  a  little  trouble 
to  make  the  Crows  harmless,  for  they  eat  so  many 


14 


AMERICAN   CROW 


grasshoppers,  tent-caterpillars,  May  beetles,  and 
other  pests  that  their  service  in  destroying  inju- 
rious insects  can  hardly  be  overestimated.  When 
gypsy  moths  are  stripping  the  woods  of  their 
foliage,  the  old  Crows  often  take  their  young  to 
feed  on  them ;  besides  this,  they  kill  so  many 
field-mice,  rabbits,  and  other  harmful  rodents 
that,  apart  from  their  good  offices  as  scavengers, 
they  prove  themselves  most  valuable  farm  hands. 
Some  farmers  appreciate  this,  and,  when  not 
tarring  the  corn,  take  the  trouble  to  feed  the 
birds  old  corn  during  the  time  when  they  would  be 
pulling  up  the  young  sprouts, 
for  they  realize  that  the  work- 
man is  worthy  of  his  hire,  and 
would  no  more  think  of  shoot- 
ing Crows  than  horses  and  cows 
because  they  demand  grain  in 
in  return  for  their  work. 

Though  the  Crow  is  of  espe- 
cial interest  to  the  farmer,  he 
is  of  still  greater  interest  to  the 
bird  student ;  for  he  is  one  of 
the  drollest,  most  intelligent, 
and  individual  of  birds.  His 
sedate  walk,  his  gestures  and 
conversation,  proclaim  him  a 
bird  of  originality  and  reflection,  who  will  repay 
our  closest  study.  He  is  sure  to  be  discovered 
in  peculiar  pursuits.  Doctor  Mearns  found  him 


FIG.  4. 
Footprint  of  Crow. 


AMERICAN  CROW  15 

fishing  through  the  ice  on  the  Hudson,  watching 
at  the  fissures  in  the  ice  alongshore,  at  low  tide, 
pulling  out  whatever  fish  were  passing.  And  we 
are  told  by  Mr.  A.  M.  Frazer  of  an  original  pet 
Crow  who  had  a  way  of  his  own  to  rid  himself 
of  parasites.  He  would  "  deliberately  take  his 
stand  upon  an  ant  mound  and  permit  the  ants  to 
crawl  over  him  and  carry  away  the  troublesome 
vermin." 

The  intelligence  of  the  Crow  is  also  seen  at 

O 

the  nest,  where  his  domestic  virtues  shine  out 
brightly.  To  cradle  his  heavy  young,  he  picks 
out  strong  twigs  and  carries  them  high  up  in 
a  treetop,  and,  when  the  nest  is  done,  stands 
guard  over  his  handsome  green  eggs,  and  later  his 
young,  by  keenly  scrutinizing  all  passing  gunners 
and  boys  of  evil  intent.  Nuttall  ascribes  strong 
family  affection  to  the  Crows.  He  thinks  they 
remain  mated  through  life,  and  says  that,  not 
only  does  the  male  feed  his  mate  on  the  nest  and 
brood  the  eggs  in  her  absence,  but  when  the 
young  have  left  the  nest,  both  old  birds  "con- 
tinue the  whole  succeeding  summer  to  succor  and 
accompany  their  offspring  in  all  their  undertak- 
ings and  excursions." 


16  FISH  CROW 

Fish  Crow  :  Corvus  ossifragus. 

Entirely  black,  more  glossy  than  the  common  Crow,  and  usually 

much  smaller.     Length,  16  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Gulf  and  Atlantic  coast  as  far 

north  as  southern  Connecticut ;  resident  except  at  the  extreme 

northern  part  of  its  range. 

In  Washington  the  Fish  Crows  are  very  com- 
mon, and  the  black  figures  may  often  be  seen  on 
the  towers  of  the  Smithsonian,  when  their  raven- 
like  croak  may  be  plainly  heard  and  interpreted 
as  a  solemn  '  never  more '  by  jocose  ornithologists 
discussing  their  stuffed  brothers  inside.  In  the 
National  Zoological  Park  they  are  more  common 
than  the  ordinary  Crow,  and  may  be  seen  wading 
in  the  shallows  of  Rock  Creek.  When  the  other 
Crows  are  with  them,  they  may  still  be  readily 
known,  if  not  by  their  smaller  size,  by  their 
hoarse,  guttural  car,  which  Mr.  Burroughs  de- 
scribes as  less  masculine  than  the  clear,  strong 
caw  of  the  American  Crow. 


ROBIN  17 


FIG.  5. 

Robin :  Merula  migratoria. 

Adults,  upper  parts  blackish  brown  ;  under  parts  bright  red- 
dish brown  ;  throat  striped  black  and  white  ;  corners  of  tail 
white.  Young  in  nesting  plumage,  spotted  with  black. 
Length,  10  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  the  mountains  of 
the  Carolinas  and  Virginia  westward  to  the  Great  Plains,  and 
northward  to  the  arctic  coast ;  winters  from  southern  Canada 
and  the  northern  states  (irregularly)  southward. 

Though  the  Eobin  is  a  common  bird,  he  is  un- 
commonly interesting,  because  he  is  an  old  friend, 
and  so  secure  of  our  friendship  that  he  lets  us 
share  his  home  life  as  few  birds  will.  Great 


18  ROBIN 

intelligence  was  shown  by  a  Robin  family  of  my 
acquaintance,  not  only  in  the  construction  of  the 
strong  adobe  frame  for  their  nest,  but  —  after  the 
hatching  of  the  blue  eggs  —  in  methods  of  family 
government  and  parental  care  ;  in  disciplining  the 
greedy,  carefully  feeding  the  weak ;  and  finally, 
when  the  tremulous  nestlings  were  launched  on 
their  own  wings,  in  teaching  them  caution,  and 
driving  off  their  enemies  sometimes,  in  cases  of 
extraordinary  danger,  by  rousing  the  neighbor- 
hood against  the  threatening  monsters.  What 
human  tenderness  the  old  birds  show  in  their 
family  relations,  not  only  in  caring  for  their  little 
ones,  but  in  the  small  offices  of  daily  happy  com- 
panionship !  how  grateful  is  the  gentle  song,  how 
tender  the  watchful  solicitude  of  the  male,  and 
how  trustful  the  quiet  home  affection  of  his  mate 
as  they  work  together  for  their  brood ! 

Other  delights  of  discovery  await  the  patient, 
unobtrusive  observer  as  he  listens  to  the  song  of 
the  Robin,  with  its  individual  variations  —  the 
cries  of  warning,  anxiety,  and  simple  good  cheer ; 
the  joyous  daybreak  chorus ;  the  tender  carol  at 
the  nest,  and  the  low,  meditative  evening  song 
rising  from  the  dewy  lawn. 

But,  beside  the  sympathy  and  affection  which 
the  Robin  rouses  by  his  love  and  song,  the  bird 
has  a  habit  which  in  recent  years  has  called  the 
attention  of  the  ornithological  world  to  him  with 

O 

renewed   interest.      Mr.    William    Brewster   has 


EOBIN  19 

announced  that,  as  the  Crow  resorts  to  roosts  in 
winter  and  after  the  nesting  season,  the  Robin 
betakes  him  to  similar  roosts  before  and  dur- 
ing the  nesting  season,  sometimes  as  many  as 
25,000  birds  being  found  together.1  Most  com- 
monly, the  male  Robin  seems  to  go  to  the  nightly 
roosts  with  his  first  brood  of  big  spotted  young 
while  his  mate  is  on  the  nest  with  her  second  set 
of  eggs  or  young.  At  first  this  seems  too  much 
like  the  club  habit  which  affects  family  men  of 
larger  growth,  but  011  closer  examination  it  proves 
very  harmless.  Mr.  Walter  Faxon,  a  close  ob- 
server of  a  roosting  father  bird,  found  him  a 
most  exemplary  Robin.  He  did  not  leave  home 
till  nearly  sunset,  after  he  had  fed  his  little 
family  of  young  for  the  night.  Then  he  flew  to 
the  top  of  a  spruce-tree,  and,  "after  singing  a 
good-night  to  his  wife  and  babies,  took  a  direct 
flight  for  the  roost."  Then  next  morning  the 
"  model  husband  and  father  returned  to  his  fam- 
ily at  3.40  (sunrise,  4.29),  his  arrival  being  an- 
nounced by  his  glad  call  and  morning  song." 
Indeed,  far  from  interfering  with  family  life,  the 
summer  Robin  roosts  have  an  important  office  to 
fulfill,  for  in  going  to  them  the  young  birds  are 
taught  to  follow  the  lead  of  their  parents,  and  so 
prepared  for  the  migration  that  is  before  them. 

On  their  way  south,  near  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Otto 
Widmann  has  found  the  Robins  roosting  in  winter 

1  The  Auk,  vol.  vil.  No.  iv.  p.  360;   The  Footpath  Way,  p.  153. 


20  ROBIN 

in  a  tract  of  reeds.1  In  ordinary  win- 
ters they  probably  remain  till  spring,  he 
thinks,  but  when  severe  weather  comes 
presumably  go  on  to  roosts  still  farther 
south. 

As  the  Robin  is  particularly  fond  of 
wild  fruit,  he  can  winter  comfortably 
wherever  wild  berries  still  cling  to  the 
bushes.  This  diet  seems  to  agree  with 
him,  though  nearly  half  his  food  for  the 
year  is  animal.  He  not  only  eats  wasps, 
bugs,  spiders,  angle-worms,  and  a  large 
number  of  grasshoppers,  crickets,  and 
caterpillars,  but  destroys  the  March  fly 
larvae  that  injure  the  grass  in  the  hay- 
field.  He  also  ate  the  army  worm  that 
invaded  the  country  in  1896  (Fig.  6). 
The  Eobin  has  been  accused  of  taking 
cultivated  fruit,  but  examinations  show 
that  less  than  5  per  cent,  of  his  food  is 
grown  by  man.  As  Professor  Bruner, 
the  author  of  '  Birds  of  Nebraska,'  and 
one  of  the  close  students  of  bird  econ- 
omy, pertinently  remarks :  "  He  is  a 
poor  business  man  who  pays  ten  dollars 
for  that  which  he  knows  must  later  be 
sold  for  fifteen  cents  or  even  less.  Yet 
I  have  known  of  instances  where  a 
Robin  that  had  saved  from  ten  to  fif- 

1  The  Auk,  vol.  xii.  No.  i.  p.  1. 


BOBIN  21 

teen  bushels  of  apples  that  were  worth  a  dollar 
per  bushel,  by  clearing  the  trees  from  canker- 
worms  in  the  spring,  was  shot  when  he  simply 
pecked  one  of  the  apples  that  he  had  saved  for  the 
grateful  or  ungrateful  fruit-grower."  Professor 
Beal,  who  has  made  a  study  of  the  Robin  question, 
suggests  that  as  the  Russian  mulberry  ripens  at 
the  same  time  as  the  cherry,  if  those  who  complain 
that  the  Robin  eats  their  cherries  will  only  plant 
a  few  mulberry  bushes  around  their  gardens  or 
orchards,  they  will  probably  protect  the  more  val- 
uable fruit.  The  wild  fruits  the  Robin  eats  are 
of  interest  to  most  bird-lovers  as  showing  what 
can  be  planted  not  only  to  prevent  the  bird  from 
doing  harm,  but  to  attract  him  about  our  homes. 
The  wild  fruits  found  in  his  stomach  are  dogwood, 
wild  grapes,  wild  black  cherry,  choke-cherry,  bird 
cherry,  mulberry,  greenbrier  berry,  cranberry, 
blueberry,  huckleberry,  holly  berry,  elderberry, 
hackberry,  service  berry,  spice  berry,  hawthorn, 
bittersweet,  Virginia  creeper,  moonseed,  mountain 
ash,  black  haw,  barberry,  pokeberry,  strawberry 
bush,  juniper,  persimmon,  saw  palmetto,  Califor- 
nia mistletoe,  and  bayberry. 

Many  of  these  berries  remain  on  the  bushes  till 
winter,  and  so  keep  the  birds  from  going  south 
for  food,  for  the  Robin  will  linger  if  he  can  find 
anything  to  live  on.  Doubtless  it  was  imagina- 
tion, for  others  report  differently,  but  the  Robins 
I  saw  in  Florida  sat  around  in  the  orange  groves 


22  WOOD   THRUSH 

with  a  homesick  air,  as  if  they  were  only  waiting 
till  time  to  start  home  again.  When  they  do 
come  back,  what  good  cheer  they  bring  with 
them !  I  remember  one  long  winter  spent  in  the 
country  when  it  seemed  that  spring  would  never 
come.  At  last  one  day  the  call  of  a  Robin  rang 
out,  and  on  one  of  the  few  bare  spots  made  by 
the  melting  snow  there  stood  the  first  redbreasts ! 
It  was  a  sight  I  can  never  forget,  for  the  intense 
delight  of  such  moments  make  bright  spots  in  a 
lifetime. 

Wood  Thrush  :  Turdus  mustelinus. 
(See  Fig.  220,  p.  361.) 

Upper  parts  warm  brown,  brightest  on  head ;  under  parts  white, 
heavily  spotted  with  black.  Length,  about  83-  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States ;  breeds 
as  far  north  as  Minnesota,  Massachusetts,  and  Ontario  ;  win- 
ters in  Central  America. 

The  Wood  Thrush  is  probably  the  best  known 
and  the  most  familiar  of  the  thrushes.  In  Nor- 
wich, Connecticut,  I  have  seen  it  nesting  close 
by  the  sidewalk  of  a  village  street. 

Its  large  size,  heavily  spotted  breast,  and  the 
rich  golden  brown  of  its  back,  brightest  on  its 
head,  distinguish  it  from  the  other  thrushes. 

Its  nest  is  sometimes  near  the  ground,  but 
usually  fifteen  to  twenty-five  feet  above  it.  The 
nest  is  made  largely  of  leaves,  and  has  an  inner 
wall  of  mud,  like  that  of  its  cousin  the  Robin,  and 
its  eggs  are  similar  to  the  Robin's. 


CHIMNEY  SWIFT  23 

The  call  note  of  the  Wood  Thrush  is  a  rapid 
pit-pit ;  his  song  a  calm,  rich  melody  which,  heard 
beside  the  chorus  of  spring  songs,  chattering 
Wrens,  loquacious  Yireos,  and  jovial  Catbirds, 
Thrashers  and  Chats,  sets  vibrating  chords  that 
none  of  the  others  touch.  As  a  young  woman 
told  me  once,  after  first  hearing  the  Thrush : 
"  I  don't  know  what  it  is,  but,"  putting  her  hand 
on  her  heart,  "  it  makes  me  feel  queer."  Indeed, 
the  song  is  so  distinct  one  does  not  need  to  build 
up  associations  in  order  to  appreciate  it,  as  is  the 
case  with  so  many  songs,  but  can  at  once  feel  the 
quieting  touch  of  its  hymn-like  melody. 

Chimney  Swift :  Chcetura  pelagica. 
(Plate  II.  p.  24.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  Florida  to  Labra- 
dor ;  west  to  the  Great  Plains ;  winters  in  Mexico  and  Central 
America. 

Among  the  commonest  birds  seen  in  the  sky 
over  a  New  England  village  are  the  Swifts.  They 
are  dark  little  birds,  who  row  through  the  air  like 
racers,  twittering  socially  as  they  go.  Sometimes 
as  you  watch  them  on  a  village  street  you  will 
see  them  suddenly  stop  short  and  pitch  down 
the  black  mouth  of  a  chimney,  for  it  is  now  only 
the  most  old-fashioned  ones  who  nest  in  hollow 
trees. 

In  many  inland  towns,  attention  is  attracted  to 
the  Swifts  by  their  habit  of  roosting  at  night  in 


24  CHIMNEY  SWIFT 

the  large  chimneys  of  church  or  court-house.  In 
Wooster,  Ohio,  Mr.  Oberholser  has  seen  as  many 
as  a  thousand  about  the  court-house,  and  large 
numbers  have  been  noted  in  Norwich,  Conn.  It 
is  interesting  to  watch  their  movements.  As 
Nuttall  says,  when  the  birds  go  to  roost,  "  before 
descending,  they  fly  in  large  flocks,  making  many 
ample  and  circuitous  sweeps  in  the  air ;  and  as 
the  point  of  the  vortex  falls,  individuals  drop  into 
the  chimney  by  degrees,  until  the  whole  have 
descended." 

However  much  we  believe  in  change  of  scene, 
it  seems  odd  for  a  balloonist  to  live  in  a  cellar,  to 
be  coursing  about  among  the  stars  one  moment, 
hung  up  on  the  wall  of  a  dark  sooty  flue  the 
next;  but  the  Swifts  are  quite  put  to  it,  for  it 
would  be  very  bad  form,  in  fact  do  outrage  to  all 
the  traditions  of  the  race,  if  one  of  them  were 
to  perch  on  a  tree  for  a  moment.  There  is 
actually  no  record  of  their  alighting  anywhere 
except  in  a  hollow  tree  or  chimney.  They  even 
gather  their  nesting  materials  on  the  wing,  break- 
ing off  bits  of  twig  in  their  feet  and,  it  is  said, 
with  their  bills,  literally,  in  passing.  Accord- 
ingly, as  by  our  deeds  the  world  knows  us,  their 
wings  are  developed  till  they  look  like  strips  of 
cardboard  more  than  bunches  of  feathers,  out- 
doing those  of  their  Hummingbird  connections, 
who  transact  their  business  as  they  go.  On  the 
other  hand,  their  feet,  like  those  of  Chinese  ladies, 


PLATE  II.  —  CHIMNEY  SWIFT 

Sooty,  throat  whitish  ;  wings  long  and  slender  ;  tail  tipped  with 
spines.     Length,  about  5|  inches. 


CHIMNEY  SWIFT 


25 


FIG.  7. 

Weak  foot  of 

Chimney 

Swift. 


are  so  little  used  that  they  are  small  and  weak 
(Fig.  7).  They  serve  mainly  as  pic- 
ture-hooks, for  the  birds  hook  them 
over  the  edge  of  the  nest  or  into  a 
crack  in  the  chimney,  and  proceed  to 
go  to  sleep  hanging  like  pictures  on 
a  wall.  Even  when  thus  employed, 
the  feet  do  not  have  to  do  the  4  whole 
duty  of  man ' ;  for  the  tail  comes  in  to 
act  as  a  prop,  being  bent  under  the  bird  to  brace 
against  the  wall.  Doubtless,  by  this  habit,  the 
end  of  the  tail  has  gradually 
lost  its  feathery  character,  the 
webbing  being  worn  off,  till  now 
only  the  stiff,  bone-like  quills  of 
the  feathers  remain.  These  he 
uses  like  little  awls,  to  stick  into 
the  bricks  (Fig.  8). 

As  the  Swifts  get  their  meals 
on  the  wing  —  they  are  exclusively  insectivorous, 
and  are  good  enough  to  eat  mainly  what  are  to  us 
either  disagreeable  or  positively  injurious  insects 
—  they  have  wide  gaping  mouths  and  tiny  bills, 
in  marked  contrast  to  the  Hummingbirds,  which, 
though  in  the  same  order,  have  with  different  food 
habits  developed  in  the  opposite  direction,  and 
have  long  probe-like  bills  to  suit  their  needs 
(Figs.  9  and  10). 

Another  phase  of  this  wonderful  adaptation  of 
form  to  habit  is  shown  when  the  Swift  comes  to 


FIG.  8. 

Tail  feather  of 

Chimney  Swift,  used 

to  brace  against 

wall. 


26 


CHIMNEY  SWIFT 


FIG.  9. 

Short, 
widely  gap- 
ing bill  of 

Swift. 


FIG.  10. 

Long,  probe-like  bill 
of  Hummingbird. 


build  its  nest.  It  would  be  quite  impossible  for 
an  ordinary  bird  to  fasten  a  wall-pocket  of  twigs 
to  a  .perpendicular  chimney,  but  the  Swift  is  pro- 
vided with  a  sali- 
vary glue  that  de- 
fies anything  but 
heavy  rain,  actu- 
ally having  been 
known  to  hold  firm 
when  the  brick  to 
which  it  had  glued  the  nest  was  broken  away. 
Nature  selects  beneficial  qualities  rigorously,  or 
rather  the  struggle  for  life  is  so  intense  that  only 
the  best  fitted  survive  to  hand  down  their  charac- 
ters to  their  race  ;  but  Nature  makes  no  meaning- 
less display.  Eggs  are  colored  because  they  are 
exposed  to  enemies,  and  those  whose  colors  best 
disguise  them  are  most  likely  to  escape  the  eyes 
of  enemies ;  but  let  the  eggs  be  laid  in  a  tree 
trunk,  a  hole  in  the  ground,  or  otherwise  out  of 
sight,  and  as  a  general  rule  they  will  be  white. 
There  is  no  force  at  work  to  eliminate  the  white 
ones.  So  we  see  this  negative  adaptation  in  the 
eggs  which  the  Swift  secretes  in  a  chimney,  — 
they  are  pure  white. 

It  would  be  exceedingly  interesting  to  watch 
the  Swifts  at  the  nest ;  and  while  their  habits  or- 
dinarily render  this  impracticable,  Mr.  Otto  Wid- 
mann,  the  original  and  philosophical  student  of 
birds,  has  shown  how  it  may  be  done.  He  accom- 


CHIMNEY  SWIFT  27 

plished  it  by  building  a  miniature  chimney,  a 
wooden  shaft  eighteen  inches  square  and  six  feet 
high,  on  top  of  a  flat  tower  where  he  could  look 
down  on  the  birds  at  will.  It  is  encouraging  to 
read  that  it  was  occupied  the  day  after  it  was 
completed.  In  studying  his  tenants,  Mr.  Wid- 
mann  found  that  the  birds  cannot  build  in  damp 
weather,  as  the  glue  must  have  dry  air  to  harden 
in.  As  only  a  small  amount  of  this  glue  is 
secreted  daily,  nest-building,  with  the  interrup- 
tions of  rainy  days,  sometimes  takes  nearly  three 
weeks.  One  pair  of  Mr.  Widmann's  birds  spent 
two  days  in  laying  their  foundation,  besmearing 
the  wall  and  fastening  the  first  sticks  to  it.  When 
the  first  egg  was  laid,  ten  days  later,  the  nest  was 
only  half  done,  and  from  that  time,  curiously 
enough,  building  and  laying  went  on  together. 
When  the  young  were  two  weeks  old,  Mr.  Wid- 
mann  could  not  find  them  when  he  went  to  the 
chimney ;  but  while  wondering  what  had  become 
of  them,  one  of  the  parents  came  with  food,  and 
he  discovered  that  "  all  four  were  huddling  side 
by  side,  hanging  on  the  wall  immediately  below 
the  nest  and  entirely  hidden  from  view  above." 
The  next  week,  Mr.  Widmann  says,  "  I  was  still 
more  surprised  when,  bending  my  head  over  the 
shaft,  the  youngsters  jumped  right  against  my 
face  with  a  strong,  hissing  noise,  which  I  believe 
must  be  a  very  effective  means  of  frightening 
unsuspecting  visitors."  When  the  brood  actually 


28  CHIMNEY  SWIFT 

left  the  chimney  for  several  nights  they  were 
brought  back  by  the  parents. 

Doctor  Brewer  notes  that  Swifts  often  feed 
their  young  quite  late  into  the  night,  and  this 
can  readily  be  believed  by  those  who  have  heard 
the  rumbling  and  roaring  in  chimneys  where  they 
live. 

Mr.  Chamberlain,  in  his  notes  on  Canadian 
birds,  tells  us  that  the  first  flight  of  the  Swifts  is 
most  interesting  to  witness.  "  The  solicitude  of  the 
parents  and  their  coaxing  ways ;  the  timid  hesita- 
tion of  the  young  birds,  and  their  evident  desire 
to  emulate  their  seniors;  the  final  plunge  into 
mid  air,  and  the  first  few  awkward  efforts  to  mas- 
ter the  wingstroke,  make  this  one  of  the  episodes 
of  bird  life  which  bring  these  children  of  the  air* 
very  close  to  the  hearts  of  their  human  brethren." 

Major  Bendire,  in  his  monumental  work,  '  Life 
Histories  of  North  American  Birds,'  says  that 
few  birds  are  more  devoted  to  their  young  than 
the  Chimney  Swift,  cases  being  recorded  where 
the  parent  was  seen  to  enter  a  chimney  in  a  burn- 
ing house,  even  after  the  entire  roof  was  a  mass 
of  flames,  preferring  to  perish  with  its  offspring 
rather  than  forsake  them.  A  most  remarkable 
case  of  devotion  is  cited  in  the  Life  Histories 
from  Forest  and  Stream.  A  full  month  after  the 
other  Swifts  had  gone  south  for  the  winter,  an 
old  bird  was  discovered  bringing  food  to  one  of 
its  young  which  had  fallen  from  the  nest,  and  had 


MOURNING  DOVE 


29 


become  so  entangled  in  a  hair  that  it  could  not 
get  out  of  the  chimney.  The  note  says :  "  His 
anxious  mother  who  had  cast  in  her  lot  with  him, 
to  remain  and  to  die  with  him,  for  the  time  of 
insects  was  about  gone,  came  into  the  chimney 
and  actually  waited  beside  me  while  I  snipped 
the  strong  hair  and  released  him."  As  Major 
Bendire  comments,  from  his  sympathetic  know- 
ledge of  bird  life :  "  This  instance  certainly  shows 
a  tender  side  of  bird  nature,  and  such  instances 
are  far  more  common  than  they  appear  to  be,  if 
we  could  only  see  them." 


Mourning  Dove  :  Zenaidura  macroura. 

General  coloring  fawn  ;  under  parts  pinkish  ;  sides  of  the  neck 
with  metallic  pink  reflections ;  a  small  black  mark  below  the 
ear ;  tail  showing  a  bordering  of  black  and  white  in  flight. 
Young,  feathers  tipped  with  whitish.  Length,  about  12  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  breeding  from 
Cuba  north  to  southern  Canada  and  New  England,  and  win- 
tering from  southern  Illinois  and  New  York  to  the  Greater 
Antilles  and  Panama. 

It  is  pleasant  to 
know  that  this  beauti- 
ful Dove  is  a  familiar 
resident  of  most  of  the 
United  States,  for  it  is 
one  of  our  most  attrac- 
tive birds.  Sometimes 
we  see  the  soft  fawn- 
colored  creature  look- 


FIG.  11. 
Mourning  Dove. 


30  MOURNING  DOVE 

ing  out  at  us  from  the  foliage  of  a  tree,  turning 
its  head  from  side  to  side  to  inspect  us,  while  its 
mate  calls  solicitously,  "  cooo-o,  ah-coo-o-o — coo- 
o-o — coo-o-o  ;  "  again,  we  see  it  walking  along  the 
ground,  moving  its  head  back  and  forth  with  the 
peculiar  motion  of  the  Doves  ;  then  we  hear  a 
musical  whirr  as  it  passes  swiftly  through  the  air 
beside  us,  and  on  looking  up  catch  sight  of  the 


FIG.  12. 
Tail  of  Mourning1  Dove. 

white  circlet  of  its  long  vanishing  tail  (Fig.  12)  ; 
or  perhaps  watch  it  soar  low  over  the  bushes  with 
wings  stiffly  spread  till  it  gets  near  the  nest,  when 
it  alights  with  a  wabbling  motion  of  wings  and 
tail. 

But  the  pleasantest  part  of  this  acquaintance 
comes  when  we  visit  the  bird  at  its  nest.  To  be 
sure  it  does  not  always  build  where  there  are  peo- 
ple. In  the  dry  part  of  Arizona,  Major  Bendire 
found  it  nesting  a  long  distance  from  water,  so 
far  that  it  could  only  go  to  drink  twice  a  day,-but 


GROUND  DOVE  31 

its  habit  was  so  well  known  that  old  mountaineers 
followed  it  when  in  search  of  water.  In  the  east, 
however,  when  sure  of  protection  the  Dove  will 
make  its  home  in  our  gardens. 

In  southern  California  one  gentle  brooding  bird 
let  me  come  close  under  her  loose  twig  nest  to 
talk  to  her,  though  her  mate  was  troubled  at  first, 
for  he  is  a  watchful  and  devoted  guardian.  Major 
Bendire  thinks  the  pairs  remain  mated  through 
the  year,  as  they  are  seen  together  summer  and 
winter.  Indeed,  the  name  '  Turtle  Dove '  which 
has  become  synonymous  with  tenderness  and  affec- 
tion is  more  appropriate  than  the  name  Mourning 
Dove,  for  with  long  familiarity  the  low  cooing, 
which  at  first  seems  mournful,  sounds  more  tender 
and  soothing  than  sad.  At  times  the  bird  seems 
almost  to  speak  its  own  Latin  name,  ma-crou-ra; 
but  at  all  events  its  sweet  musical  call  bespeaks 
the  gentle  nature  of  the  Dove. 

Ground  Dove  :  ColumUgallina  passerina  terrestris. 

Adult  male,  forehead  and  under  parts  pinkish  ;  top  of  head 
gray ;  back  brownish ;  wings  showing  reddish  brown  in 
flight ;  tail  blackish.  Adult  female,  similar,  but  forehead  and 
under  parts  almost  without  pink.  Length,  6|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  — South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  states; 
north  to  North  Carolina ;  west  to  Texas ;  more  common  near 
the  coast  than  inland. 

In  the  south,  this  little  Dove  makes  a  pretty 
picture  of  trustfulness  as  it  walks  down  the 
streets  of  the  towns.  But  the  tourists,  who  should 


32  EUFFED  GROUSE 

be  most  anxious  to  preserve  the  beautiful  objects 
of  the  countries  they  visit,  have  done  their  best 
to  destroy  it ;  and  as  the  friendly  birds  are  also 
victims  of  the  millinery  craze,  they  are  fast  being 
killed  off. 

In  Florida  they  are  particularly  fond  of  the 
orange  groves,  but  in  Bermuda  they  may  be  found 
almost  anywhere.  Near  the  shore  one  day  I 
stopped  under  a  small  red  cedar,  when  to  my 
astonishment  one  of  the  Doves  came  tumbling 
down  almost  upon  my  head.  When  it  fluttered 
off  trailing,  I  looked  up  in  the  cedar  and  was 
delighted  to  discover  a  nest  among  the  branches. 
The  birds  are  noted  for  their  devotion  to  their 
young,  and  this  was  only  another  touching  in- 
stance of  the  way  they  will  endanger  their  own 
lives  to  save  those  of  their  little  ones. 

In  feeding  their  nestlings,  these  as  well  as  other 
Doves  regurgitate  the  food  they  have  taken  into 
their  crops,  and  when  it  is  mixed  with  the  milky 
fluid  which  softens  it  give  it  to  the  tender  young 
in  a  form  that  makes  appropriate  the  fabled  name 
of  'Pigeon's  milk.' 

Ruffed  Grouse  :  Bonasa  umbellus  and  races. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Northern  North  America ;  north 
in  the  eastern  states  to  British  Provinces  ;  south  to  middle 
states,  and  in  the  mountains  to  northern  Georgia ;  resident. 

Walk  through  the  market  and  you  will  recog- 
nize pathetic  strings  of  game  hanging  by  their 


BUFFED   GEOUSE 


33 


necks  in  the  shambles.  The  beauty  and  life  of 
the  poor  birds  being  gone,  they  seem  without  in- 
terest. But  walk  through  a  Partridge  woods  and 
the  presence  of 
the  living  birds 
in  the  shadowy 
forest  lends  it 
charm  and  new 
delight.  You 
are  startled  by 
a  loud  whirr, 
and  a  covey  of 
birds,  before 
invisible,  rises 
from  almost  un- 
der your  feet, 
whirling  away 
through  the 

bushes  so  fast  your  eye  can  scarcely  follow  their 
flight.  As  they  disappear  you  berate  your  dull- 
ness, for  they  look  so  large  it  seems  inexcusable 
that  you  have  not  discovered  them.  They  are 
almost  the  size  of  the  domestic  fowls,  to  which 
they  are  related ;  but  though  they  walk  about  on 
the  ground  like  hens,  their  soft  wood-colors  tone 
in  with  the  colors  of  the  sunlit  brown  leaves,  and 
neutralize  the  light  so  perfectly  that  it  is  a  diffi- 
cult matter  to  see  them.  They  are  protectively 
colored,  we  have  been  accustomed  to  say,  meaning 
•that  they  approach  the  colors  of  their  surround- 


FIG.  13. 
Ruffed  Grouse. 


34  BUFFED  GROUSE 

ings,  being  ground-color  to  match  the  ground,  as 
the  Hummingbird  is  green  to  match  the  green 
leaves  on  the  trees  he  frequents,  and  as  the  desert 
birds  are  sand-color  and  the  arctic  ones  white  to 
match  the  snow.  But  Mr.  Abbott  H.  Thayer, 
the  artist,  has  shown  that  there  is  something  more 
than  mere  color  likeness  in  protective  coloration, 
a  marvelous  gradation  of  tint  to  counteract  the 
effects  of  light  and  shade.  As  he  states  the  law : 
"  Animals  are  painted  by  nature,  darkest  on 
those  parts  which  tend  to  be  most  lighted  by  the 
sky's  light,  and  vice  versa" 1  that  is,  darker  above 
and  lighter  below.  He  demonstrates  this  most 
conclusively  by  means  of  pictures  of  birds  as  they 
are  in  nature,  in  contrast  to  those  in  which  he  has 
painted  the  under  parts  uniform  with  the  dark  up- 
per parts,  or,  as  he  says,  "  extended  the  protective 
coloration  all  over  them."  As  we  look  at  the  pic- 
tures, the  natural  birds  are  almost  invisible,  seem 
scarcely  to  exist;  while  the  painted  ones  stand 
out  boldly,  unmasked,  before  us  (Plate  III.). 

The  Grouse  is  one  of  the  best  examples  of  this 
wonderful  law  of  adaptation,  of  the  gradation  of 
tints ;  and  it  is  also  a  wonderful  example  of  pure 
color  correspondence  to  surroundings,  and  the 
use  of  color  pattern  to  disguise  form.  When  the 
brooding  bird  sits  on  her  buffy  eggs  at  the  foot 
of  a  tree,  the  white  that  is  mixed  with  the  dark 
brown  of  her  back  matches  the  effect  of  sunlight 

1  The  Auk,  vol.  xiii.  No.  ii.  p.  125. 


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HUFFED   GROUSE  35 

on  the  brown  leaves  so  well  that  it  is  hard  to  tell 
where  the  leaves  end  and  the  bird  begins.  Then 
the  dark  band  crossing  the  end  of  her  tail  breaks 
the  tail  form. 

The  Grouse  is  well  adapted  to  the  needs  of  its 
life  in  matters  of  form  as  well  as  coloration.  As 
it  spends  its  time  on  the  ground,  it  has  a  strong 
foot,  like  that  of  the  hen  and  pheasant,  its  con- 
geners, in  contrast  to  the  weak  perching  foot  of 
the  air-dwelling  Swift.  (See  Fig.  7,  p.  25.)  In 
winter  this  is  still  more  remarkably  modified  to 
suit  its  habits.  The  bird  does  not  go  south  in 
winter,  but  has  to  wade  through  the  snow  for  its 
food ;  and  to  meet  this  necessity  its  toes,  which  in 
summer  are  bare  and  slender,  in  winter  are  fringed 
so  that  they  serve  admirably  for  snowshoes. 

The  short,  rounded,  hen-like  wings  of  the 
Grouse  also  suit  its  short,  rapid  flights ;  for  the 
bird  does  not  migrate,  and  when  startled  in  the 
woods  does  little  more  than  shoot  out  like  a  bomb 
and  then  gradually  curve  back  to  earth  again, 
contrasting  markedly  both  in  form  and  habit 
with  the  long,  slender-winged  Swift  (see  Fig.  19, 
p.  45),  who  lives  in  air  and  winters  in  Central 
America.  Though  the  wings  of  the  Grouse  are 
not  suited  to  long  flights,  they  are  admirably 
formed  for  musical  instruments.  The  domestic 
rooster  claps  his  as  he  crows;  but  the  Grouse 
when  moved  to  song  instead  of  crowing  beats 
the  air  with  his  wings  till  it  resounds  with  his 


36  RUFFED  GEOUSE 

resonant  drumming.  He  often  does  this  at  night 
in  spring  and  fall,  and  has  been  known  to  drum 
by  moonlight  when  the  snow  was  on  the  ground 
and  the  mercury  near  zero.  He  usually  has  one 
special  drumming  log,  and  the  roll  of  his  tattoo 
coming  through  the  woods  is  one  of  the  best- 
loved  sounds  in  nature,  calling  one's  thoughts  to 
the  quiet  shaded  depths  of  the  forest. 

As  the  Grouse  is  a  shy  woods  bird,  it  is  a  rare 
pleasure  to  have  him  live  on  your  preserves ;  but 
it  can  easily  be  accomplished.  Protect  your 
woods  with  signs  forbidding  hunting,  and  in 
winter  when  he  can  no  longer  find  maple-leaf 
worms,  and  the  buds  of  the  trees  are  small,  scatter 
corn  and  buckwheat  between  the  house  and  the 
woods,  and  soon  you  will  find  his  pretty  footprints 
in  the  snow  beside  the  tracks  of  the  squirrels. 
Then  some  winter  morning,  as  you  look  through 
your  blinds,  perchance  you  will  be  rewarded  by 
the  sight  of  the  handsome  bird  himself,  with  ruffs 
and  tail  spread  out,  strutting  turkey-cock  fashion 
before  his  mate.  In  summer  you  may  have  the 
added  pleasure  of  coming  on  a  brood  of  young 
Partridges,  soft  and  downy  as  little  chickens,  stroll- 
ing along  the  wooded  edge  of  a  meadow,  daintily 
picking  wild  strawberries  under  the  eye  of  their 
mother.  She  clucks  to  them,  and  when  they  have 
had  their  fill  squats  on  the  ground  and  takes 
them  under  her  protecting  wings  like  a  devoted 
hen.  The  Partridge  is  an  anxious  parent,  decoy- 


BOB- WHITE 


37 


ing  the  observer  away  from  her  young  with  signs 
of  great  distress.  Wilson,  of  the  classic  trium- 
virate, Audubon,  Wilson,  and  Nuttall,  gives  a 
most  interesting  experience  of  his  with  a  Par- 
tridge who  had  only  one  young  bird,  and  on  being 
overtaken,  after  fluttering  before  him  for  a  mo- 
ment, "  suddenly  darting  toward  the  young  one, 
seized  it  in  her  bill  and  flew  off." 


Bob-white  :  Colinus    virginianus. 

Adult  male,  upper  parts  wood-brown ;  throat  and  line  from 
bill  to  neck  white ;  black  patch  on  breast ;  rest  of  under  parts 
whitish  barred  with  black.  Adult  female,  similar,  but  throat 
buff y ,  and  black  of  breast  less  or  absent.  Length,  1.0  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  from 
southern  Maine  and  the  Dakotas  southward  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  ;  resident  wherever  found. 

This  beautiful  bird  is  known  mainly  as  '  Quail 
on  toast,'  but  in  use- 
fulness and  interest 
of  habit  it  holds  a 
high  place  among 
our  birds.  As  a 
weed-seed  and  in- 
sect destroyer  it  is 
of  such  economic 
importance  that  in 
Wisconsin,  where  F 

it  has  been  practi-  BoWhite. 

cally  exterminated, 
attempts  have  recently  been  made  to  reestablish  it. 


38  BOB-WHITE 

It  eats  the  potato  beetle  —  seventy-five  potato  bugs 
were  found  in  one  Quail  stomach  —  and  it  is  par- 
ticularly fond  of  the  moth  that  lays  the  egg  that 
produces  the  injurious,  omnivorous  cutworm.  As 
each  moth  lays  multitudes  of  eggs,  the  destruction 
of  a  few  thousands  of  moths  at  the  right  time 


FIG.  15. 

Cutworm,  eaten  by  Quail. 

would  prevent  the  hatching  of  an  army  of  worms 
able  to  destroy  large  fields  of  corn  and  grain ;  so 
that  in  a  field  where  there  were  a  few  old  Quail, 
as  the  birds  raise  two  to  three  broods  of  from  ten 
to  thirty  young  each,  but  few  moths  would  lay 
their  eggs.  It  would  be  wise  for  other  states  to 
follow  the  example  of  Wisconsin  and  introduce 
fresh  Quail  in  the  old  haunts  where  they  have 
been  thoughtlessly  exterminated.  Aside  from 
the  use  of  the  Quails  as  game  birds,  their  numbers 
suffer  great  loss  by  winter  snows ;  for  like  their 


BOB-WHITE  39 

relatives  the  Grouse  they  do  not  migrate,  and  in 
severe  storms  often  huddle  together  and  are 
buried,  when,  if  a  crust  forms  over  them,  they 
are  unable  to  get  out,  and  die  in  large  numbers. 

Those  who  know  the  Quail  in  the  field  are 
familiar  with  his  delightful  call  of  Sob-white,  a 
loud  clear  whistle  that  locates  him  at  a  long  dis- 
tance. It  is  such  a  striking  note  that  once,  when 
a  single  Quail  strayed  beyond  his  usual  limits 
in  northern  New  York,  he  was  fairly  driven  back 
by  the  excited  dogs  of  the  neighborhood,  for  at 
sound  of  his  whistle  they  would  go  bounding  over 
the  fields  toward  him,  as  if  in  answer  to  the  call 
of  their  masters.  The  result  of  this  reception  of 
the  stranger  was  a  sore  disappointment  to  the 
observers  of  the  locality,  for  Bob-white  is  one  of 
the  most  delightful  birds  to  study. 

There  are  few  prettier  sights  than  a  family  of 
old  Quail  with  their  young  walking  about  fear- 
lessly in  a  woodland  meadow.  The  bird's  domes- 
tic life  is  particularly  interesting  from  the  part 
the  male  plays  in  the  family,  helping  to  build  the 
nest,  feeding  his  mate  on  the  eggs,  and,  in  case  of 
her  death,  brooding  in  her  place.  Doctor  Brewer, 
in  his  biographies  of  North  American  birds, 
gives  a  graphic  account  of  meeting  with  a  male 
engaged  in  the  care  of  his  brood.  "  They  did 
not  see  me  until  I  was  close  upon  them,"  he  says, 
"  when  the  old  bird,  a  fine  old  male,  flew  directly 
towards  me,  and  tumbled  at  my  feet  as  if  in  a 


40  KEY  TO  GROUSE  AND   QUAIL 

dying  condition,  giving  at  the  same  time  a  shrill 
whistle,  expressive  of  intense  alarm.  I  stooped 
and  put  my  hand  upon  his  extended  wings,  and 
could  easily  have  caught  him.  The  young  birds, 
at  the  cry  of  the  parent,  flew  in  all  directions, 
and  their  devoted  father  soon  followed  them,  and 
began  calling  to  them  in  a  low  cluck." 

The  Bob-white  like  the  Partridge  readily  re- 
sponds to  protection,  and  when  not  shot  at  will 
become  very  tame,  even  nesting  about  houses  and 
gardens.  For  three  successive  years  Mrs.  Mabel 
Osgood  Wright  had  broods  raised  in  a  tangle  in 
her  garden,  old  and  young  ranging  in  the  neigh- 
borhood during  the  summer,  but  in  the  shooting 
season  returning  to  hide  under  a  protecting  hem- 
lock hedge. 

The  Ruffed  Grouse  and  Bob-white  are  the  only 
members  of  their  family  we  are  likely  to  meet, 
and  there  is  no  question  of  confusing  such  hen-like 
birds  with  those  of  any  other  family,  while  there 
is  little  danger  of  mistaking  one  for  the  other. 

Key  to  Male  Grouse  and  Quail. 

Common  Characters.  —  Hen-like   birds 

that  live  on  the  ground. 
1.  Large  (length  about  17  inches). 

Ruffs  on  shoulders  ;  dark  bands  on 

tail    .    .    p.  32.   RUFFED  GROUSE. 
1'.  Small  (length  about  10  inches). 

No  ruffs  on  shoulders  or  bands  on  tail.  p.  37.  BOB-WHITE. 


BLUEBIRD  41 


FIG.  16. 

Bluebird :  Sialia  sialis. 

Adult  male,  upper  parts  deep  blue ;  throat  and  breast  reddish 
brown;  belly  white.  Adult  female,  upper  parts  grayish  blue  ; 
under  parts  duller.  Young,  in  nestling1  plumage,  spotted  with 
whitish.  Length,  about  7  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  Manitoba  and  Nova  Scotia ;  winters 
from  southern  Illinois  and  southern  New  York  southward. 

Although  the  Bluebird  did  not  come  over  in 
the  Mayflower,  it  is  said  that  when  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers  came  to  New  England  this  bird  was  one 
of  the  first  whose  gentle  warblings  attracted  their 
notice,  and,  from  its  resemblance  to  the  beloved 
Kobin  Eedbreast  of  their  native  land,  they  called 
it  the  Blue  Robin.  From  that  time  on,  this 
beautiful  bird  has  shown  itself  so  responsive  to 
friendly  treatment  that  it  has  won  a  deep  place 


42  BLUEBIED 

in  the  affections  of  the  people.  The  bird  houses 
that  were  put  up  for  it  insured  its  presence  in 
villages  and  city  parks  until  the  introduction  of 
the  House  Sparrow,  but  since  that  time  the  old 
familiar  friend  has  had  to  give  way  before  the 
quarrelsome  stranger.  Mr.  Nehrling,  however, 
gives  us  the  grateful  information  that  by  a  simple 
device  the  Bluebird  boxes  may  be  protected  from 
the  Sparrow.  It  seems  that  the  Sparrow,  being 
no  aeronaut,  —  not  to  say  of  earthly  mind,  — 
finds  difficulty  in  entering  a  hole  unless  there  is  a 
perch  beside  it  where,  as  it  were,  he  can  have  his 
feet  on  the  ground.  The  Bluebird,  on  the  con- 
trary, aside  from  his  mental  cast,  is  so  used  to 
building  in  old  Woodpecker  holes,  none  of  which 
are  blessed  with  piazzas  or  front-door  steps,  that 
he  has  no  trouble  in  flying  directly  into  a  nest 
hole.  So,  by  making  the  Bluebird  houses  without 
perches,  the  Sparrows  may  be  kept  away.  Mr. 
Nehrling  urges  that  cigar  boxes  should  never  be 
used  for  bird  houses,  which  is  surely  wise,  for  we 
would  neither  offend  the  nostrils  of  feathered 
parents  nor  contaminate  the  feathered  youth.  In 
the  south,  he  tells  us,  the  cypress  knees  furnish 
excellent  materials  for  them.  He  suggests,  more- 
over, that  sections  of  hollow  branches  and  hollow 
tree  trunks  can  be  used  in  addition  to  the  usual 
board  houses.  When  this  is  done,  the  section  of 
the  branch  should  be  sawed  in  two,  bored  out  for 
the  nest  cavity,  and  then  nailed  or  glued  together 


BLUEBIBD  43 

and  capped  at  each  end  to  keep  out  the  rain. 
It  should  then  be  fastened  securely  to  a  branch 
or  tree  trunk  with  strong  wire.  Bird  houses  of 
some  sort  are  especially  necessary  on  the  prairie 
and  in  other  regions  where  few  natural  nesting 
sites  are  to  be  found. 

One  of  the  most  effective  ways  to  attract  the 
Bluebird,  however,  is  by  planting  wild  berry- 
bearing  bushes,  particularly  in  the  west,  where 
such  bushes  do  not  grow  naturally.  For  while 
three  quarters  of  the  Bluebird's  food  consists  of 
grasshoppers,  crickets,  caterpillars,  and  similar 
insects,  and  it  is  "  exceedingly  useful  to  the  horti- 
culturist and  farmer,  destroying  myriads  of  larvae 
and  insects  which  would  otherwise  increase  and 
multiply  to  the  great  injury  of  vegetation,"  the 
Bluebird  is  not  a  bird  of  one  idea,  but  extends  his 
dietary  to  wild  fruits,  and  by  means  of  them  may 
be  brought  about  our  houses.  A  variety  of 
bushes  can  be  planted,  for  he  has  been  found  to 
eat  bird  cherry,  chokeberry,  dogwood,  bush  cran- 
berry, huckleberry,  greenbrier,  Virginia  creeper, 
strawberry-bush,  juniperberry,  bittersweet,  poke- 
berry,  false  spikenard,  partridgeberry,  holly,  rose 
haws,  sumac,  and  wild  sarsaparilla. 

Wilson,  in  speaking  of  the  Bluebird  engaged 
in  courting  his  mate,  says  in  his  delightful  way : 
"  If  a  rival  makes  his  appearance,  ...  he  quits 
her  in  a  moment,  attacks  and  pursues  the  in- 
truder as  he  shifts  from  place  to  place,  in  tones 


44  HOUSE  WEEN 

that  bespeak  the  jealousy  of  his  affection,  con- 
ducts him,  with  many  reproofs,  beyond  the  ex- 
tremities of  his  territory,  and  returns  to  warble 
out  his  transports  of  triumph  beside  his  beloved 
mate." 

As  we  watch  the  Bluebird,  one  of  the  most 
noticeable  things  about  him,  in  spite  of  his  famil- 
iar friendliness,  is  a  certain  untamable  spirit  of 
the  woods  and  fields.  As  he  sits  on  a  branch 
lifting  his  wings,  there  is  an  elusive  charm  about 
his  sad  quavering  tru-al-ly,  tru-al-ly.  Ignoring 
our  presence,  he  seems  preoccupied  with  unfath- 
omable thoughts  of  field  and  sky. 

House %Wr en :  Troglodytes  addon. 

Upper  parts,  wings,  and  tail  brown,  finely  barred  with  black ; 
•  under  parts  whitish.     Length,  5  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 

as  far  north  as  Manitoba  and  Maine  ;  and  winters  from  South 

Carolina  southward. 

Crows,  Doves,  Hummingbirds,  Swifts,  and 
Quail  are  all  birds  of  strongly  marked  family 
characters,  but  Wrens  are 
no  less  so.  They  are  small 
brown  birds  that  match  the 
color  of  the  earth,  and  creep 
about  in  odd  nooks  and  cran- 
nies searching  diligently  for 
insects.  As  their  daily  round 
is  not  disturbed  by  soaring 
ambition,  the  Wrens  have  short,  round  wings  like 


HOUSE  WEEN 


45 


the  modest  Grouse  and  Quail,  very  different 
from  the  long  ones  of  the  more  aspiring  Doves, 
Hummingbirds  and  Swifts  (see  Fig.  19  and  Fig. 
100,  p.  190).  They  are  jolly  little  tots,  always  full 
of  business,  but  still  more 
full  of  song.  The  Crow, 
the  Quail,  and  the  Dove 
talk,  and  the  Humming- 
bird and  Swift  sing  ac- 
cording to  their  light 
and  vocal  anatomy,  but 

the  Wrens  and  Catbirds  are  the  only  birds  we  have 
mentioned  thus  far  who  are  on  the  list  of  noted 


FIG.  18. 
Short,  round  wing  of  Wren. 


FIG.  19. 
Long,  slender  wing  of  Swift. 

songsters.  The  House  Wren  is  one  of  the  most 
tireless  of  his  family,  fairly  bubbling  over  with 
happiness  and  music  all  the  day  long.  In  north- 
ern New  York  he  is  not  often  seen,  but  on  a  visit 
to  Vassar  I  remember  coming  face  to  face  with  a 
preoccupied  bit  of  a  Wren  perched  on  a  fence  post, 
singing  away  with  more  gusto  than  if  delivering 
an  oration.  At  Farmington,  Connecticut,  the 
Wren  is  an  established  villager,  so  used  to  worldly 
amusements  he  will  make  love  and  discuss  nest- 


46  HOUSE  WEEN 

ing  materials  with  his  mate  while  the  tennis  balls 
of  Miss  Porter's  girls  are  flying  through  the  air. 

In  building,  Wrens  abhor  a  vacuum.  One  pair 
were  so  possessed  to  fill  a  space  they  had  chosen 
that  their  eggs  actually  addled  while  they  were 
stuffing  in  twigs !  The  eggs  are  rather  novel  in 
color,  being  uniformly  marked  with  fine  pinkish 
spots. 

Tin  fruit  cans,  though  not  highly  decorative, 
make  good  nests  for  the  wrenkins,  who  also  like 
olive  jars  and  other  structures  not  wholly  modern 
in  matters  of  plumbing  and  ventilation.  When 
a  tin  can  is  used,  it  is  well  to  turn  back  the  lid 
and  put  in  a  cap  of  wood  with  a  hole  just  large 
enough  to  admit  the  Wren  and  just  small  enough 
to  keep  out  the  House  Sparrow;  for,  like  the 
Bluebird,  the  Wren  is  greatly  pestered  by  this 
grasping  monopolist. 

One  little  bird  who  lived  at  Sing  Sing,  New 
York,  was  fairly  besieged  by  the  Sparrows.  Fortu- 
nately it  built  near  the  house  of  a  special  cham- 
pion of  birds,  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher,  and  whenever 
the  doctor  heard  a  commotion  he  would  go  to  its 
assistance,  shooting  down  the  Sparrows  that  were 
tormenting  it.  One  day,  when  the  familiar  note 
of  alarm  came  and  he  hurried  to  the  window,  the 
Sparrow  was  so  near  the  Wren  that  the  doctor 
had  to  shoot  with  great  care  not  to  hit  his  little 
friend.  The  Wren  was  not  at  all  disturbed,  how- 
ever, but  sat  on  his  branch  unmoved  while  the 


HOUSE  WEEN  47 

shot  was  fired,  and  as  the  Sparrow  fell  turned  his 
head  over  and  watched  his  neighbor  go  to  the 
ground  with  unconcealed  satisfaction.  Wrens 
nest  in  all  sorts  of  odd  nooks  and  corners.  A 
pair  of  Washingtonians  one  year  started  to  build 
in  Mr.  Gardiner  Hubbard's  greenhouse,  in  the 
pocket  of  the  gardener's  coat.  At  night,  when 
the  man  came  for  his  coat,  he  would  find  sticks  in 
his  pocket,  but  it  was  not  for  some  days  that  he 
realized  who  was  playing  this  very  practical  joke 
upon  him.  Then  the  kind-hearted  attendant  was 
greatly  perplexed,  for  he  could  not  spare  his  coat. 
He  compromised,  however,  by  substituting  an  old 
one  which  suited  the  Wrens  just  as  well,  and  in  a 
short  time  there  was  a  set  of  little  brown  eggs 
snugly  ensconced  in  the  bottom  of  his  pocket. 
When  showing  them  to  me,  the  gardener  got 
down  a  tall  glass  jar  from  a  shelf  in  which  was 
another  Wren's  nest,  and  told  me  that  a  pair  had 
also  built  on  the  knot  of  a  loop  of  rope  that  had 
hung  in  the  greenhouse. 

Mr.  Nehrling  speaks  of  a  pair  of  Wrens  which 
built  their  nest  in  an  old  wooden  shoe  in  which  a 
gardener  kept  his  strings,  the  orthodox  couple 
calmly  accepting  the  strings  as  a  special  gift 
of  Providence.  Another  practical  pair  actually 
crept  inside  a  human  skull  Doctor  Fisher  was 
bleaching  in  an  apple-tree,  and  raised  their  brood 
there,  untroubled  by  ghosts.  The  doctor  was  so 
impressed  by  their  adaptability  that  he  waived 


48  PUEPLE  MAETIN 

all  claim  to  his  skull,  and  the  Wrens'  nest  is  now 
on  exhibition  in  the  National  Museum. 

Original  and  entertaining  as  the  wrenkins  are, 
they  are  worthy  of  respectful  consideration  for 
another  reason  :  they  bring  up  their  large  fami- 
lies —  sometimes  they  raise  from  twelve  to  sixteen 
young  in  a  season  —  on  a  diet  of  worms;  so, 
whether  they  appropriate  our  shoes  or  our  skulls, 
they  should  be  welcomed  to  our  gardens,  because 
they  reduce  the  insects  and  increase  the  family 
spirits. 

Purple  Martin  :  Progne  subis. 

Adult  male,  shining  blue  black.  Female  and  young,  upper  parts 
duller;  under  parts  grayish.  Length,  8  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;  breeds  from 
Florida  and  the  table  lands  of  Mexico  north  to  Newfound- 
land and  the  Saskatchewan;  winters  in  Central  and  South 
America. 

As  long  ago  as  when  Audubon  was  traveling 
through  the  middle  states,  he  reported  that 
"  almost  every  country  tavern  had  a  Martin-box 
on  the  upper  part  of  its  signboard, "  and  com- 
mented characteristically  :  "  I  have  observed  that 
the  handsomer  the  box,  the  better  does  the  inn 
generally  prove  to  be."  He  also  found  that  the 
Indians  hung  up  calabashes  for  the  Martins,  so 
they  would  keep  the  vultures  from  the  deerskins 
and  venison  that  were  drying. 

Calabashes  are  used  extensively  in  the  south, 
and  Mr.  Nelniing  assures  us  "  that  the  Martin 


BAEN  SWALLOW  49 

is  as  well  satisfied  with  the  simple  hollow  gourd 
attached  to  a  pole  near  a  negro  hut,  as  with  the 
most  ornamental  and  best  arranged  Martin-house 
in  the  beautiful  gardens  and  parks  of  rich  plant- 
ers and  opulent  merchants.  Where  no  nesting- 
boxes  are  provided,"  he  says,  "  our  Martin  will 
not  breed,  and  it  hardly  ever  accepts  nesting- 
boxes  attached  to  trees,  preferring  locations  where 
the  chance  is  given  to  dart  in  and  out  uninter- 
rupted by  any  obstacle." 

The  struggle  between  the  Martins  and  Spar- 
rows is  so  bitter  that  one  pair  of  Martins  Mr. 
Widmann  watched,  intelligently  adopted  the 
strategical  plan  of  never  leaving  the  nest  alone, 
taking  turns  in  going  for  food,  because  as  he 
explains,  "  it  is  comparatively  easy  to  keep  a 
Sparrow  out  of  a  box,  but  it  is  impossible  for  a 
Martin  to  dislodge  him  after  he  has  built  a  nest." 

Barn  Swallow  :   Chelidon  erythrogaster. 

(Plate  IV.  p.  50.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  north  to  Green- 
land and  Alaska  ;  breeds  throughout  the  greater  part  of  its 
range ;  winters  as  far  south  as  southern  Brazil. 

Next  to  the  Martin,  the  Barn  Swallow  is  the 
most  easily  known  of  his  family.  He  is  usually 
found  beating  low  over  a  meadow  for  insects.  As 
he  sweeps  near  us,  the  rich  metallic  sheen  of  his 
back  is  well  seen ;  and  as  he  flies  up  to  a  telegraph 
wire,  his  long  forked  tail  and  deep  chocolate  breast 


50  BAEN  SWALLOW 

identify  him  beyond   question.     Like  the    Swift 
(see  Fig.  7,  p.  25)  and  Hummingbird,  the  Swal- 
lows live  in  air  and  feed  when  flying,  and  so  have 
undeveloped  perching  feet  (compare  Figs.  20,  21), 
unfitted  for  walking ;  nevertheless  they 
sometimes  condescend  to  visit  the  earth 
for   nesting    materials   and    the   lime 
FIG.  20.        which  they  need  to  harden  their  egg- 
Weak  foot      shells.     Their  eggs,  like  those  of  the 

of  Bam       Eave  Swallow,  are  white,  heavily  spot- 
Swallow.       ,    ,     .,,   , 

ted  with  brown. 

If   you   watch   a   row  of   Swallows 
perched  on  a  telegraph  wire,  you  will 
hear  the  bright,  happy  warble  which 
FIG.  21.        adds  so  much  to  their  attractiveness. 
Strong  foot     jn    addition    to    this    twittering  song, 
Sparrow       their  call  note  is   said  to  be  a  "  soft 
and  affectionate  witt,  witt,  and  the  cry 
given  in  time  of  danger  a  harsh  trrrr,  trrrr" 

The  homely  old  proverb,  "  One  Swallow  does 
not  make  a  summer,"  shows  how  intimately  these 
birds  are  associated  with  the  close  of  winter.  As 
Mr.  Nehrling  puts  it,  in  his  enthusiastic  way  : 
"  We  welcome  their  first  appearance  with  de- 
light, as  the  faithful  harbingers  of  flowery  spring 
and  ruddy  summer ;  and  when,  after  a  long 
frost-bound  and  boisterous  winter,  we  hear  it  an- 
nounced that  '  the  Swallows  have  come,'  what  a 
train  of  charming  ideas  are  associated  with  the 
simple  tidings  !  " 


PLATE  IV. —  BARN   SWALLOW 


Upper  parts  steel-blue  ;  tail   deeply  forked,  with  white  spots  on 
outer  feathers  ;  throat  chocolate.     Length,  about  7  inches. 


BAEN  SWALLOW  51 

But  as  it  is  a  pleasure  to  have  the  birds  come 
back  in  spring,  it  is  always  with  a  feeling  of  re- 
gret that  we  see  them  gather  for  their  southward 
flight  in  fall ;  for  the  silence  of  the  deserted  barns 
and  telegraph  wires  suggests  the  coming  winter. 

Before  beginning  their  southward  journey,  the 
Swallows  gather  in  large  flocks.  Sometimes  they 
can  be  followed  from  farm  to  farm.  They  go 
so  slowly  and  stop  so  often  on  the  way  that  the 
young  birds  gradually  get  used  to  following  the 
old  ones.  Then  they  make  prolonged  stops  at 
definite  roosts,  sometimes  in  trees  and  sometimes 
in  marshes  along  river  banks.  It  is  a  most  inter- 
esting sight  to  watch  them  then.  In  an  article  in 
'  The  Auk,'  Mrs.  Bates  gives  a  graphic  account 
of  a  roost  in  the  willows  along  the  Kennebec 
River,  in  Maine,  at  which  the  movements  of  the 
birds  are  most  remarkable.  At  sunset,  she  says, 
they  begin  pouring  in,  and  "  at  intervals  clouds  of 
Swallows  will  evolve  something  like  order  out  of 
their  numbers  and  perform  en  masse  .  .  .  fantastic 
curves,  spirals,  counter-marches,  snake-like  twists 
and  turns,  with  the  sky  for  a  background."  1 

Mr.  Chamberlain  once  happened  on  a  curious 
meeting-place  of  the  Swallows.  A  flock  several 
thousand  strong  actually  flew  down  the  chimney 
of  a  deserted  house  and  settled  themselves  for  the 
night  on  the  floors  of  the  rooms,  like  so  many 
wayfaring  tramps.2 

1  The  Auk,  vol.  xii.  No.  i.  p.  48. 

2  Some  Canadian  Birds,  p.  5. 


52 


EAVE  SWALLOW 


Eave  Swallow ;  Cliff  Swallow :  Petrochelidon  lunifrons. 

Forehead  whitish  ;  crown  steel-blue  ;  throat  brown ;  steel-blue 
patch  on  brown  breast ;  tail  almost  square,  with  a  light  spot 
on  rump.  Length,  about  6  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  north  to  the 
limit  of  trees ;  breeds  throughout  its  range  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  except  the  south  Atlantic  and  Gulf 
states ;  winters  from  Central  to  South  America. 

If  the  number  and  variety  of  Swallows  seem 
confusing,  go  to  an  old  barn  around  which  the 
birds  are  flying,  and  ex- 
amine their  adobe  domi- 
ciles. Under  the  eaves 
you  will  find  a  row  of 
queer  gourd-shaped  mud 
nests,  hanging  mouth 
down ;  and  as  you  watch 
you  may  see  one  of  the 
house-owners  disappear  in 
a  nest,  disclosing  as  he 
does  so  the  light  rump 

which  distinguishes  the  Eave  from  all  other  Swal- 
lows. 

The  nest  is  interesting  in  itself,  for  it  is  made 
of  pellets  of  mud,  rolled  till  they  are  almost 
round ;  but  the  most  surprising  thing  about  it  is 
the  way  its  retort  form  is  changed  by  the  intelli- 
gent builders  according  to  the  slant  of  the  rafter 
against  which  it  is  supported,  the  weight  of  the 
bulge  being  adjusted  with  marvelous  skill. 


FIG.  22. 
Eave  Swallow. 


EAVE  SWALLOW  53 

If,  while  you  are  watching  Eave  Swallows,  a 
fork-tailed  Barn  (see  Plate  IV.  p.  50)  disappears 
through  the  barn-door  and  you  follow  it  to  its  nest, 
you  will  be  surprised  at  the  difference  in  the  two 
structures.  At  first  sight,  the  nest  of  the  Barn 
seems  a  simple  cup  lined  with  hay  and  feathers. 
On  close  inspection  it  proves  less  simple  than 
it  looks ;  for,  Doctor  Brewer  says,  it  is  made  up 
of  ten  or  twelve  distinct  layers  of  rolled  pellets 
separated  by  layers  of  fine  grass,  possibly  glued 
together  with  saliva.  Sometimes  the  ingenious 
birds  build  out  an  extra  platform  beside  the  nest 
that  they  may  rest  on  the  doorstep  at  night,  and 
when  the  young  fill  the  house  in  the  daytime. 
Audubori  says  that  when  building  they  often 
stop  at  intervals  to  let  the  mud  dry  and  harden. 

As  Mr.  Nehrling  suggests,  Swallows  prefer 
barns  with  openings  in  the  gables,  so  that  they 
can  fly  freely  in  and  out;  and  he  gives  us  a  valu- 
able hint,  telling  us  that  as  the  nests  will  not 
adhere  to  smooth  boards-,  he  has  often  helped  the 
birds  by  nailing  pieces  of  rough  board  across 
the  rafters  of  the  peak. 

Some  countrymen  are  prejudiced  against  Swal- 
lows or  Phoebes  building  in  their  barns,  as  they 
think  the  parasites  of  the  birds  will  infest  the 
cattle ;  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  bird 
parasites  will  not  live  on  animals,  and  that,  on  the 
other  hand,  Swallows,  especially  the  Barn,  live 
largely  upon  the  flies  that  torment  stock.  The 


54  BANK  SWALLOW 

Eave  Swallow,  which  builds  about  houses  as  well 
as  barns,  is  a  blessing  to  man  in  another  way,  for 
it  eats  enormous  quantities  of  winged  ants,  mos- 
quitoes, injurious  wheat  midgets,  spotted  squash 


FIG.  2->. 
Mosquito,  eaten  J?y  Eave  Swallow. 

beetles,  and  beetles  that  work  under  the  bark  of 
trees.  As  Doctor  Brewer  says  of  the  Barn  Swal- 
lows :  "  There  is  no  evil  blended  with  the  many 
benefits  they  confer  on  man ;  they  destroy  the  in- 
sects that  annoy  his  cattle,  injure  his  fruit-trees, 
sting  his  fruit,  or  molest  his  person." 

Bank  Swallow  :  Clivicola  riparia. 

Adults,  dark  above,  light  below,  with  a  dark  band  across  the 
breast.  Length,  about  o£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  north  to  Labra- 
dor and  Alaska  ;  breeds  locally  from  the  middle  United  States 
northward  throughout  its  range ;  winters  as  far  south  as 
Brazil. 

In  going  through  carriage  or  railroad  cuts  in 
sandy  banks,  one  is  often  struck  by  the  number  of 


BANK  SWALLOW 


55 


elliptical  holes  in  the  cliffs.  If  you  go  up  to  them 
and  rap  on  the  walls  the  startled  cliff-dwellers  re- 
sponsible for  these  mural 
decorations  will  often  fly 
out  in  a  whirl  about  your 
head.  The  excavations  vary 
in  depth  from  twelve  inches 
to  four  feet,  and  are  made 
with  a  careful  avoidance  of 
stones  that  might  fall  from 
the  roof  upon  the  helpless 
heads  of  the  babes  in  the 
bank.  The  eggs,  being  concealed,  are  white. 

The  Swallow's  habit  of  nesting  in  colonies  is  an 
interesting  example  of  the  '  sociability  of  birds,' 
which  Mr.  Widmann  says  can  best  be  indulged 
by  long-winged  birds  like  Swallows,  as  they  can 
more  easily  spread  over  the  extent  of  territory 
necessary  for  commissary  reasons. 


FIG.  24. 
Bank  Swallow. 


56 


BALTIMORE  ORIOLE 


FIG.  25. 
Baltimore  Oriole  :  Icterus  galbula. 

Adult  male,  entire  head  and  neck  black;  most  of  the  body 
bright  orange  ;  wings  and  tail  mainly  black.  Adult  female, 
upper  parts  brown  and  black ;  under  parts  dull  orange ; 
throat  sometimes  spotted  with  black.  Length,  about  7-£ 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States,  north  to 
New  Brunswick  and  Manitoba,  west  to  the  Great  Plains ; 
breeds  from  the  Potomac  and  Ohio  valleys  northward ;  win- 
ters in  Mexico  and  Central  America. 

In  the  temperate  regions  of  the  United  States 
there  are  few  brilliantly  colored  birds,  as  gaudy 
coats  are  found  mostly  in  tropical  regions,  where 
they  match  the  brilliancy  of  the  flowering  tree- 
tops.  We  can  best  appreciate  how  rich  the 
tints  of  the  Orioles  are  when  we  compare  them 
with  the  gray  Catbird,  the  sooty  Chimney  Swift, 
the  fawn-colored  Doves,  and  the  brown  Wrens  and 
Grouse.  It  would  seem  that  the  Oriole  race  was 


BALTIMORE  ORIOLE 


57 


endangered  by  the  striking  orange  and  black,  but 
the  mothers  who  brood  the  nests  and  protect  the 
little  ones  are  well  concealed  by  a  dull  orange 
dress,  and  the  color  pattern  of  the  males  must  dis- 
guise their  form  at  a  distance.  Then,  perhaps,  as 
Mr.  Fuertes  has  suggested,  it  is  well  that  attention 
be  called  from  the  female  and  young  by  the  gaudy 
plumage  of  the  male.  However  that  may  be,  the 
Orioles  are  strong  and  swift  of  wing,  and  in  time 
of  danger  seek  safety  in  flight ;  while  the  Wrens 
and  Quail  with  short  wings  (see  Fig  18,  p.  45) 
find  their  greatest  safety  in  standing  motionless 
against  their  natural  background. 

Besides  having  strong  wings,  the  Oriole  has  a 
sharp-pointed  bill,  which  makes 
a  good  weapon  and  a  good 
fork  ;  being  especially  adapted 
to  holding  the  long  worms  and 
large  insects  on  which  the  bird 
feeds.  While  eating  a  great 
many  bugs,  grasshoppers,  and 
beetles  that  injure  the  locust, 
apple,  and  elm  trees,  the  Oriole 
has  a  weakness  for  caterpil- 
lars, and,  most  fortunately  for 
the  farmers,  for  the  click  bee- 
tles (Fig.  26),  the  adults  of  the 
wire  worm,  among  the  most  insidious  of  pests, 
mining  at  the  roots  of  turnips,  potatoes,  and  corn. 
Few  birds  like  the  hairy  caterpillars,  but  Doctor 


FIG.  26. 

Click   Beetle  (adult 

of  wire  worm),  eaten 

by  Oriole. 


58  BALTIMORE  ORIOLE 

Fisher  has  seen  the  Oriole  go  up  before  a  cater- 
pillar's nest  and,  after  puncturing  it  with  his  bill, 
stand  and  wait  for  the  caterpillars  to  come  out. 
As  each  one  appeared  he  seized  it  and  after 
sucking  the  juices  of  its  body  threw  away  the 
hairy  skin  covering.  The  doctor  also  reports 
that  the  young  Orioles  are  very  fond  of  mul- 
berries, and  says  he  has  seen  "  a  whole  brood 
camping  in  a  mulberry-tree."  As  a  relish  in  lieu 
of  olives,  the  Oriole  sometimes  takes  a  few  grapes 
and  peas,  though  peas  have  been  found  in  only 
2  out  of  the  113  stomachs  examined.  As  for 
the  grapes,  Mr.  Lawrence  Bruner  suggests  in  his 
'  Notes  on  Nebraska  Birds,'  if  "  especially  in  dry 
sections  we  take  pains  to  water  our  birds  during 
the  dry  season,  they  will  be  much  less  apt  to  seek 
this  supply  from  the  juices  of  fruits  that  are  so 
temptingly  near  at  hand.  Place  little  pans  of 
water  in  the  orchard  and  vineyard  where  the  birds 
can  visit  them  without  fear  of  being  seized  by 
the  house  cat  or  knocked  over  by  a  missile  from 
the  alert  '  small  boy,'  and  I  am  sure  that  the  in- 
jury to  fruit  to  a  great  extent  at  least  will  cease." 
Speaking  of  the  Baltimore  Oriole,  he  adds  :  "  As 
insect  destroyers,  both  this  bird  and  the  Orchard 
Oriole  have  had  an  undisputed  reputation  for 
many  years  ;  and  the  kind  of  insects  destroyed  by 
both  are  of  such  a  class  as  count  in  their  favor." 
One  far-sighted  man,  who  reports  that  the  Oriole 
eats  his  grapes,  nevertheless  adds  that  the  bird 


BALTIMOEE  OEIOLE  59 

is  worth  its  weight  in  gold  as  an  insect  destroyer. 
New  Englanders  are  to  be  congratulated  that  in 
the  towns  where  they  are  having  such  a  serious 
time  with  the  insect  pests  the  Orioles  are  common 
enough  to  give  them  material  help.  In  Farming- 
ton,  Connecticut,  with  a  very  incomplete  census  of 
the  village,  I  once  found  nine  or  ten  pairs  of  nest- 
ing Orioles. 

When  the  birds  are  such  common  villagers  one 
has  a  good  opportunity  to  watch  them  make  their 
nests,  and  it  is  then  that  the  full  perfection  of  their 
long,  slender  bill  is  seen  (see  Fig.  112,  p.  192), 
for  they  are  weavers  with  ready-made  weaving 
needles  for  sewing  the  hairs  and  delicate  fibres  in 
and  out.  The  Oriole  bill  is  as  efficient  an  instru- 
ment for  weaving  as  the  short  bill  of  the  Swallow 
(see  Fig.  120,  p.  193)  is  for  rolling  mud  pellets. 
The  taste  of  the  Oriole  leads  it  to  hang  its  nest 
to  the  most  flexible  swaying  branch  it  can  find, 
while  the  Swallow's  taste  leads  it  to  build  against 
an  immovable  rafter,  and  the  Bluebird's  to  hide 
away  inside  a  wooden  house ;  for  individuality 
and  adaptability  are  almost  as  strong  in  birds  as 
in  men.  Though  the  long  pocket  of  the  Oriole, 
moving  with  every  breeze,  seems  a  frail  cradle 
for  a  brood  of  heavy  nestlings,  in  reality  it  is 
so  skillfully  attached  to  its  supporting  branches 
that  it  has  been  known  to  hold  firm  during  a 
cyclone  which  swept  down  most  of  the  other  nests 
in  a  neighborhood.  Oriole  eggs  like  others  hidden 


60  BALTIMORE  ORIOLE 

in  cavities  are  white,  but  singularly  scrawled  and 
spotted.  The  males  usually  reach  the  nesting 
ground  two  or  three  days  before  the  females. 
The  same  nest  is  sometimes  used  for  several  sea- 
sons, Orioles  like  many  other  aristocrats  being 
somewhat  conservative  as  to  building-sites  and  be- 
coming particularly  attached  to  localities.  Major 
Bendire  thinks  few  birds  are  more  devoted  to 
each  other  than  these,  and  believes  that  they 
remain  mated  through  life.  The  young  are  very 
active,  and  for  a  day  or  two  before  they  leave  the 
nest,  Audubon  says,  creep  in  and  out  of  it  like 
young  Woodpeckers.  Since  the  Oriole  likes  to 
hang  his  cradle  to  our  elm-trees,  he  accepts  our 
friendly  advances,  and  as  he  is  bound  by  no  preju- 
dices is  quite  ready  to  take  the  bright-colored 
worsteds  put  out  for  his  nest,  weaving  them  in 
with  as  much  complacency  as  the  sober  grays  of 
his  own  providing. 

The  Oriole  is  one  of  the  most  companionable  of 
birds,  for  his  bright  coat  is  seen  constantly  flash- 
ing back  and  forth  around  our  houses ;  and  when 
he  is  at  work  his  cheery,  exuberant  song  comes 
back  to  us  with  such  a  joyful  ring  it  .must  raise 
the  most  lugubrious  spirits.  Until  too  much 
engrossed  with  family  duties,  the  beautiful  birds 
sing  a  great  deal,  and  the  variations  in  the  song 
make  it  always  grateful.  There  is  a  bright  viva- 
cious song,  an  equally  hearty  scold,  a  high  shrill 
whistle,  and  a  richly  modulated  love  song,  one  of 


OBCHAED  ORIOLE  61 

the  most  exquisitely  finished  and  tender  of  bird 
songs.  Indeed,  the  Oriole  is  a  prince  among 
birds,  with  character  as  positive  as  his  dress  and 
with  such  winning  ways  and  so  melodious  a  voice 
that  he  is  sure  of  the  affection  of  all  who  study 
him. 


Orchard  Oriole  :  Icterus  spurius. 

Adult  male,  entire  head  and  neck  black  ;  wings,  tail,  and  back 
mainly  black ;  rest  of  body  chestnut.  Adult  female,  upper 
parts  olive-green ;  under  parts  dull  yellow.  Young  male  in 
second  year,  similar  to  the  female,  but  with  the  throat  black, 
and  patches  of  chestnut  on  the  under  parts.  Length,  about  7j 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  Massachusetts,  Ontario,  and  North 
Dakota,  and  winters  in  Central  and  northern  South  America. 

"  The  Orchard  Oriole,  though  far  less  bril- 
liantly colored  than  its  eastern  congener  the  Bal- 
timore Oriole,  is  equally  well  known  though  not 
quite  as  conspicuous.  It  is  a  restless,  impidsive, 
but  well-dispositioned  bird,  and,  though  not  par- 
ticularly shy,  it  is  nevertheless  difficult  to  observe 
closely,  as  it  generally  conceals  itself  in  the 
densest  foliage  while  at  rest,  or  else  flits  quickly 
about  from  twig  to  twig  in  search  of  insects,  on 
which  it  lives  almost  exclusively  throughout  the 
summer  months.  .  .  . 

"  Few  birds  do  more  good  and  less  harm  than 
our  Orchard  Oriole,  especially  to  the  fruit-grower. 
The  bulk  of  its  food  consists  of  small  beetles, 


62  ORCHARD   ORIOLE 

plant  lice,  flies,  hairless  caterpillars,  cabbage 
worms,  grasshoppers,  rose  bugs,  and  larvae  of  all 
kinds,  while  the  few  berries  it  may  help  itself  to 
during  the  short  time  they  last  are  many  times 
paid  for  by  the  great  number  of  noxious  insects 
destroyed,  and  it  certainly  deserves  the  fullest  pro- 
tection." (Bendire.)  Locust  leaf-mining  beetles 
are  also  on  the  Oriole's  list,  and  it  is  interesting 
to  note  that,  in  a  case  where  it  had  a  choice  be- 
tween cherries  and  mulberries,  it  took  mulberries. 
Major  Bendire  notes :  "  The  Orchard  Oriole 
is  a  very  sociable  bird,  and  does  not  object  to 
other  species  nesting  in  the  same  tree  with  it ;  it 
seems  to  be  on  especially  good  terms  with  the 
Kingbird."  Its  nest  is  cup-shaped  and  less  pen- 
sile than  the  Baltimore's,  not  so  deep,  and  usually 
made  of  grasses  plucked  green,  which  gives  the 
structure  the  fragrance  of  new  hay.  The  eggs 
are  bluish  white  and  spotted,  but  less  irregularly 
streaked  than  those  of  the  Baltimore. 


MOCKINGBIBD 


63 


FIG.  27. 

Mockingbird :  Mimus  polyglottos. 

Body  gray,  lighter  below ;  wings  and  tail  blackish,  marked 
with  white.  Length,  10-£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  the  Bahamas,  Mex- 
ico, and  southern  California  to  southern  Illinois  and  northern 
New  Jersey,  and  rarely  to  Massachusetts ;  winters  from  Vir- 
ginia southward. 

The  Mockingbird  is  a  more  accomplished  cousin 
of  the  Catbird.  His  song  has  more  finish,  his 
technique  is  better,  and  when  moved  by  love  his 
lay  becomes  a  wonder  of  ecstatic  melody.  "  Dur- 
ing the  solemn  stillness  of  the  night,"  Wilson 
tells  us,  "  as  soon  as  the  moon  rises  in  silent 
majesty,  he  begins  his  delightful  solo ;  and  sere- 
nades us  the  livelong  night  with  a  full  display  of 
his  vocal  powers,  making  the  whole  neighborhood 
ring  with  his  inimitable  medley." 

Southerners  feel  about  the  Mocker  as  northern- 


64  MOCKINGBIED 

ers  do  about  the  Robin,  and  the  bird  becomes  very 
tame  when  kindly  treated.  Nevertheless,  though 
it  is  so  responsive  to  man's  companionship,  de- 
stroys so  many  noxious  insects,  and  has  a  voice  of 
such  famous  quality,  it  is  being  gradually  exter- 
minated. Mr.  Nehrling  quotes  from  Mr.  Carl 
Danzer :  "  We  hear  complaints  from  Louisiana 
of  the  disappearance  of  the  Mockingbird.  There 
as  elsewhere  the  birds  are  shot,  year  in  and  year 
out,  by  villainous  boys,  both  old  and  young,  and 
as  the  bird  loves  to  settle  near  human  dwellings, 
its  very  trustfulness  leads  to  its  own  destruction. 
Then  there  is  the  unfortunate  circumstance  that 
the  bird  is  adapted  to  cage-life  and  brings  a  high 
price  ;  this  is  the  cause  of  the  nests  being  eagerly 
sought  and  robbed  of  their  half -fledged  occupants. 
Carloads  of  Mockingbirds  are  sent  annually  from 
the  south  to  the  north.  .  .  .  Should  matters  con- 
tinue as  heretofore,  all  the  American  birds  of 
attractive  plumage  or  voice  will  be  exterminated, 
at  least  in  the  neighborhood  of  our  larger  cities. 
Only  the  most  severe  laws,  enforced  by  the  most 
vigilant  public  sentiment,  can  be  of  any  service. 
.  .  .  The  transportation  of  birds'-skins,  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  which  are  sent  even  to  foreign  coun- 
tries for  millinery  purposes,  should  be  forbidden 
under  penalty  of  heavy  punishment.  Only  the 
severest  laws,  enforced  without  compunction,  can 
effectually  stop  the  demoralizing,  shameful  love  of 
destruction,  which  threatens  to  rob  our  landscapes 


CARDINAL  65 

of  their  most  charming  bird-life."  To  this  Mr. 
Nehrling  adds  a  plea  for  the  schools  and  press  to 
take  up  the  work  of  bird  protection,  concluding : 
"  Parents  and  teachers,  divines  and  newspapers 
can  do  infinite  good  in  this  matter.  .  .  .  Cruelty 
must  vanish  and  yield  to  a  nobler,  kinder  mode 
of  thinking." 


Cardinal :  Cardinalis  cardinalis. 

Adult  male,  entire  body,  wings,  and  tail  red  ;  chin  and  ring 
round  base  of  bill  black ;  head  with  high  crest.  Adult 
female,  bill,  wings,  and  tail  red ;  body  brownish.  Length,  85- 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  ;  breeds 
from  Florida  and  Texas  to  Iowa  and  southern  New  York ; 
resident  throughout  its  range. 

Like  the  Mockingbird,  the  Cardinal  is  known 
to  most  northerners  as  a  cage  bird,  but  in  Central 
Park  visitors  are  some- 
times surprised  by  its 
familiar  whistle,  and  on 
looking  up  are  delighted 
by  a  glimpse  of  one  of 
these  high-crested  red 
beauties,  as  he  flies  to 
cover,  giving  a  flash  of 
rich  color  to  the  land- 
scape. In  Ohio,  Mr.  H. 
C.  Oberholser  says  it  is 
found  along  the  shaded  FIG.  28. 

streets  of  the  towns  and  Cardinal 


66  CARDINAL 

in  door-yards  where  it  can  indulge  its  fondness 
for  rose  bugs.  In  the  Washington  Zoo  Cardinals 
are  common,  and  after  February  their  song  often 
rings  through  the  bare  woods.  When  spring 
comes  they  may  be  heard  there  every  day,  and 
they  are  so  used  to  park  visitors  that  you  can 
stand  almost  under  the  tree  in  which  one  is  sing- 
ing and  watch  him  as,  with  head  thrown  back 
and  tail  hanging,  he  brings  out  his  long-drawn 
liquid  note — ewe,  cue,  cue.  Even  when  you  do 
not  hear  the  song  or  see  the  bird,  you  may  guess 
its  presence  from  the  thin  '  chip  '  which  resembles 
that  of  its  relative  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 

In  the  matter  of  food,  it  is  said  that  the  Cardi- 
nal eats  the  seeds  of  rank  weeds.  Though  these 
birds  usually  live  only  in  pairs,  Nuttall,  when 
in  South  Carolina  during  severe  weather,  once 
-saw  a  flock  passing  to  a  roost  at  sunset.  The 
flock  was  so  large  that  it  took  twenty  minutes  to 
pass  over.  The  naturalist  exclaims  :  "  The  beau- 
tiful procession,  illumined  by  the  last  rays  of  the 
setting  sun,  was  incomparably  splendid  as  the 
shifting  shadowy  light  at  quick  intervals  flashed 
upon  their  brilliant  livery." 


CHICKADEE  67 

Chickadee :  Parus  atricapillus. 

Top  of  head,  nape,  and  throat  black ;  rest  of  body  gray ;  under 
parts  lighter  ;  wing  and  tail  feathers  edged  with  white.  Length, 
about  5j  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  southern  Illinois  and  Pennsylvania  northward  to  Labra- 
dor, and  southward  along  the  Alleghanies  to  Korth  Carolina  ; 
in  winter  migrates  a  short  distance  below  the  southern  limit 
of  its  breeding  range. 

He  who  knows  the  Chickadee  only  by  name  is 
an  enviable  person,  for  he  has  still  before  him 
the  initial  pleasures  of  one 
of  the  choicest  of  all  bird 
friendships.  When  seen 
in  a  clearing  as  the  pretty 
bird  flits  from  one  tree  to 
another,  his  short  wings 
and  long  tail  give  him  a  IG'  ' 

111        n-    ^  ±  i  i  •   i  Chickadee. 

bobby  night  by  which  we 

can  recognize  him  at  a  distance.  But  when  he 
clings  to  the  gray  branches,  his  soft  grayish  suit 
with  its  black  cap  and  the  trimmings  that  cut  the 
bird  form  hide  him  as  well  as  the  brown  suit  of 
the  little  Wren  protects  him  when  hunting  in  the 
dark  crevices  of  the  brown  earth.  In  many  re- 
spects the  Wren  and  Chickadee  are  as  unlike  as 
their  livery.  This  is  especially  true  of  their  songs, 
for  while  the  Wren  lives  up  to  his  family  connec- 
tions —  being  related  to  the  Catbird  and  Mocker 
—  the  Chickadee  is  no  musician.  Still  every  note 
he  utters  is  dear  to  his  friends,  and  he  has  a  varied 


68  CHICKADEE 

repertoire.  There  are  the  sweet  Chickadee  call 
which  gives  him  his  name,  the  soft  sunny  day- 
day-day  he  cons  over  to  himself,  the  sweet  sad 
phoe-be  whistle  of  spring  and  summer,  and  the 
pleasant  conversational  chiclc-a-day-ah-day-day- 
day -day-day-day.  Both  Wren  and  Chickadee 
are  cheering,  trustful  little  tots,  eminently  good 
for  the  blues,  evoking  every  bird-lover's  gratitude 
and  affection. 

In  the  spring,  when  the  feathered  tourists  are 
coming  back  and  the  excitement  of  nest-building 
is  absorbing  our  attention,  we  do  not  think  much 
about  the  Chickadee  except  to  notice  its  clearly 
whistled  phoe-be  occasionally  coming  from  the 
woods ;  but  some  day  we  are  given  a  thrill  of 
pleasure  by  the  appearance  of  -a  pair  of  the  fluffy 
Black-caps  leading  around  a  family  of  young, 
grown  almost  as  big  as  themselves,  quite  unbe- 
known to  us. 

From  that  time  on  until  the  following  spring  we 
can  have  the  society  of  the  friendly  Chickadees  if 
we  but  offer  them  a  little  food  when  cold  weather 
comes,  and  their  good  cheer  is  so  grateful  that  we 
are  glad  to  do  anything  to  keep  them  about  us. 
A  piece  of  suet  nailed  to  a  tree  pleases  them  very 
well,  but  they  also  like  the  fat  of  fresh  pork ;  and 
it  is  a  good  idea  to  fasten  bits  of  pork  at  inter- 
vals along  a  clothes-line,  for  the  cord  is  strong 
enough  to  make  a  steady  perch  for  the  birds  as 
they  peck  at  the  meat.  In  northern  New  York  a 


CHICKADEE  69 

Chickadee  who  came  to  us  for  foocl  used  to  get  so 
preoccupied  eating  that  he  would  let  me  walk 
close  under  him  on  snowshoes. 

But  though  the  birds  are  glad  of  the  dainties 
we  may  offer  them,  they  are  quite  capable  of 
finding  food  for  themselves,  even  in  the  bleakest 
winter  weather,  for  they  live  on  grubs,  and  on 
the  eggs  of  moths  hidden  under  the  bark  of  trees. 
They  are  particularly  fond  of  the  eggs  of  the 
cankerworm  moth  (Fig.  30).  Mr.  Forbush  of 
the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Agriculture 
calculated  that  one 
Chickadee  in  one 
day  would  destroy 
5,550  eggs,  and 
in  the  twenty-five 

days  in  which  the 

FIG.  30. 
cankerworm  moths 

,  Cankerworm  moth,  much  eaten  by 

run    or   crawl   up  Chickadee, 

the  trees,  138,750 

eggs.  He  was  so  impressed  with  the  value  of 
the  birds'  services  that  he  attracted  them  to  an 
infested  orchard  by  feeding  them  there  during 
the  winter ;  and  the  following  summer  "  it  was 
noticed  that  while  trees  in  neighboring  orchards 
were  seriously  infested  with  cankerworms  and  to 
a  less  degree  with  tent-caterpillars  (Fig.  84,  p. 
162),  those  in  the  orchard  which  had  been  fre- 
quented by  the  Chickadees  during  the  winter  and 
spring  were  not  seriously  infested,  and  that  com- 


70  CHICKADEE 

paratively  few. of  the  worms  and  caterpillars  were 
to  be  found  there."     Mr.  Forbush  concludes  that 
birds  that  eat  insect  eggs  are  most  valuable  to 
the  farmer,  as  they  feed  almost  entirely  on  inju- 
rious insects  and  their  eggs,  and  are  present  all 
winter  when  other  birds  are  absent.      The  bill 
of  the  Chickadee  —  a  sharply  pointed 
^—/^  o      little   pick — is   admirably   suited   to 
1^  this  work  of  excavating  for  eggs  and 

FIG.  31.        grubs  hidden  under  the  bark.     It  also 
Bill  of        makes  a  good  carpenter's  tool,  and  one 

Chickadee.       ^    jg    much    needed  .    for   when    the 

Chickadee  cannot  find  an  old  Woodpecker's  hole 
to  rent,  he  has  to  go  to  work  to  tunnel  out  a  nest 
for  himself.  Maynard  says  that  in  excavating  the 
birds  carry  the  pieces  of  wood  some  distance  away 
before  dropping  them,  and  that  when  they  build  in 
decayed  wood  "  they  are  often  obliged  to  abandon 
a  nearly  finished  domicile  on  account  of  dampness 
which  is  caused  by  the  water  that  is  absorbed  by 
the  punky  wood  during  wet  weather."  On  the 
Hudson,  Doctor  Mearns  has  'found  them  lining 
their  nests  with  cottony  fuzz  from  the  stems  of  tall 
ferns  in  a  swamp.  He  says  they  began  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  fern  stems  and  climbed  up,  "  gleaning 
to  the  very  tops,  which  often  bent  down  under  their 
weight  until  they  touched  the  water,  when  they 
flew  to  another  plant."  In  this  way  they  gleaned 
among  the  ferns  until  they  had  accumulated  bun- 
dles of  fern-down  as  large  as  hickory  nuts. 


CAROLINA  CHICKADEE  71 

Doctor  Brewer  gives  a  remarkable  instance  of 
the  maternal  devotion  shown  by  the  Chickadees : 
"  A  Black-cap  was  seen  to  fly  into  a  rotten  stump 
near  the  roadside  in  Brookline.  The  stump  was 
so  much  decayed  that  its  top  was  readily  broken 
off  and  the  nest  exposed.  The  mother  refused  to 
leave  until  forcibly  taken  off  by  the  hand,  and 
twice  returned  to  the  nest  when  thus  removed, 
and  it  was  only  by  holding  her  in  the  hand  that 
an  opportunity  was  given  to  ascertain  that  there 
were  seven  young  birds  in  her  nest.  She  made 
no  complaints,  uttered  no  outcries,  but  resolutely 
and  devotedly  thrust  herself  between  her  nest- 
lings and  the  seeming  danger.  When  released 
she  immediately  flew  back  to  them,  covered  them 
under  her  sheltering  wings,  and  looked  up  in  the 
faces  of  her  tormentors  with  a  quiet  and  resolute 
courage  that  could  not  be  surpassed." 

Carolina  Chickadee  :  Parus  carolinensis. 

Similar  to  the  northern  Chickadee,  but  smaller  ;  wings  and  tail 
feathers  not  edged  with  white.  Length,  about  4£  inches. 

GEOGBAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Southeastern  United  States ; 
north  to  southern  New  Jersey  and  Illinois  ;  west  to  Missouri 
and  Texas  ;  resident  from  southern  New  Jersey  southward. 

One  spring  day,  on  first  coming  to  Washing- 
ton, when  out  in  the  Zoological  Park  with  a  field 
class,  I  heard  a  song  that  was  new  to  me.  Creep- 
ing up  cautiously,  we  were  able  to  get  under  the 
very  tree  on  which  the  bird  was  hunting,  and 
the  class  stood  with  notebooks  raised,  taking 


72  CAEOLINA   CHICKADEE 

down  his  song  as  solemnly  as  if  the  unconscious 
songster  had  been  discoursing  to  them  in  the  lec- 
ture-room. He  was  a  Carolina  Chickadee,  and 
his  notes  resembled  whee-dle-lah^  whee-dle-lee1 , 
and  seemed  a  very  definite  as  well  as  pretty  wood- 
land tune. 

In  Missouri,  Mr.  Nehrling  put  up  nesting- 
boxes  for  these  little  southerners,  and  was  re- 
warded by  having  several  pairs  build  about  his 
house.  He  became  much  interested  in  watching 
them  feed  their  young.  "  Without  interruption 
from  early  morning  till  late  in  the  afternoon,"  he 
observes,  "  the  parents  keep  bringing  minute 
insects,  worms,  larvae  and  insect  eggs,  which  they 
collect  from  the  boughs,  bark,  and  leaves  of  the 
trees  and  shrubs  ; "  and  he  concludes,  "  like  all 
our  Titmice,  and  the  rest  of  our  small  birds,  the 
Carolina  Chickadee  is  a  very  useful  creature,  and 
should  enjoy  to  its  fullest  extent  man's  friendship 
and  protection." 

Mr.  Nehrling  calls  attention  to  the  Chickadees' 
timidity  and  flight.  They  are  terrified  by  the 
sudden  passage  of  any  bird  that  may  be  mistaken 
for  a  Hawk,  he  says,  "  for  they  know  only  too  well 
that  their  powers  of  flight  are  sadly  deficient,  and 
that  escape  from  an  enemy  in  the  open  air  is 
almost  impossible."  He  adds  that  when  a  flock 
is  about  to  start  across  a  treeless  space,  they  can 
be  stopped  by  making  a  buzzing  sound  and  throw- 
ing a  hat  in  the  air,  they  are  so  much  in  fear  of 
enemies. 


WHITE-BREASTED   NUTHATCH  73 

White-breasted  Nuthatch :  Sitta-  carolinensis. 
(Fig.  32,  p.  74 ;  and  Fig.  34,  p.  77.) 

Males,  top  of  head  black  ;  back  bluish  gray  ;  wings  and  tail 
marked  with  black  and  white  ;  under  parts  white.  Females, 
similar,  but  black  of  head  duller.  Length,  about  0  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  Minnesota  and  New  Brunswick  ;  gen- 
erally resident  throughout  its  range. 

In  the  north  a  special  debt  of  gratitude  is  due 
the  birds  that  accept  our  winter  hospitality,  and 
the  Nuthatch  is  one  of  our  main  dependences, 
coming  with  the  Chickadees,  Woodpeckers,  and 
Blue  Jays  to  visit  our  suet.  In  the  south  it  is  also 
found  during  cold  weather  in  company  with  the 
Tufted  Titmice  and  Kinglets,  and  in  spring  and 
fall  with  flocks  of  migrating  Warblers ;  but  the 
Chickadee  and  Nuthatch  are  most  frequently  seen 
together,  and  in  summer  both  retire  to  the  woods 
and  build  their  nests  in  tree  trunks.  The  Nut- 
hatch is  as  quaint  and  droll  as  the  Black-cap  is 
plump  and  friendly,  but  the  two  agree  in  being 
very  much  preoccupied  with  their  own  matters. 
The  Nuthatch  spends  most  of  his  time  moving 
about,  head  down,  on  tree  trunks,  or  suspended 
under  a  branch  like  a  fly  on  the  ceiling,  and  it 
is  said  that  he  even  sleeps  hanging  head  down. 
Once,  when  watching  a  family  of  youngsters,  I  fell 
to  wondering"  whether  thev  were  born  with  aero- 

O  •> 

batic  skill  or  whether  age  steadied  their  heads, 
and  just  at  that  moment  one  of  the  brood  started 


74 


WHITE-BREASTED  NUTHATCH 


over  the  edge  of  a  limb. 
It  hesitated  an  instant,  but 
then  circled  around  the 
branch  as  naturally  and 
easily  as  a  boy  would  run 
down  hill. 

The  family  of  six  to 
which  this  adventuresome 
youngster  belonged  was 
constantly  on  the  move. 
The  old  ones  hunted  over 
the  rosettes  of  lichen  on 
the  tree  trunks  in  a  busi- 
ness-like way,  when  they 
had  finished  one  tree  start- 
ing briskly  for  the  next 
Nuthatch  and  Chickadee,  'great  bole,'  calling  yak, 
yak,  yak,  yak-ah,  ak-ah, 

ak-aJi,  for  the  little  ones  to  follow ;  and  the  young- 
sters, although  they  had  been  running  around 
hither  and  yon  hunting  with  most  independent 
airs,  seemed  quite  ready  to  go  where  meals  were 
sure,  so  all  six  went  trailing  off  together  in 
pretty  family  fashion. 

While  watching  them,  I  saw  some  quaint  per- 


FIG.  32. 


WHITE-BREASTED  NUTHATCH  75 

formances.  Once  a  little  chap  standing,  look- 
ing up  at  a  tree  trunk  made  a  coquettish,  bobby 
bow  and  scrape  to  his  mate(?)  hanging  head 
down  facing  him,  and  she(?),  with  a  superior 
air,  promptly  flew  around  to  the  back  of  the  tree. 
But  just  at  that  moment  a  chipmunk,  '  a  rival 
nutter,'  appeared  at  the  foot  of  the  tree  below 
the  coquetting  Nuthatch,  whereupon  he  in  turn 
gave  a  quick  spread  of  wings  and  tail  and  beat 
a  retreat.  They  were  playful,  jolly  little  birds, 
and  when  alone  would  often  go  chasseing  up  the 
trees,  chirruping  softly  to  themselves. 

In  spite  of  the  ingenuous  ways  of  these  charm- 
ing foresters,  there  is  a  prejudice  against  them, 
arising  from  their  being  confused  with  the  Sap- 
suckers,  and  they  are  persecuted  by  those  who 
owe  them  the  most  gratitude,  for,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  insects  most  destructive  to  the  fruit-grower's 
crops  are  among  their  favorite  foods.  The  Nut- 
hatch is,  as  Doctor  Mearns  denominates  him,  "  an 
eminently  useful  and  industrious  bird,"  for  "  he 
devotes  his  entire  existence  to  the  occupation  of 
scrambling  about  upon  the  tree  trunks,  grubbing 
out  insects  from  their  hiding-places  under  the 
bark.  At  this  commendable  employment  ...  he 
spends  his  days ;  and  when  night  comes,  he 
betakes  himself  to  a  hole  in  some  tree,  where, 
weary  with  his  day's  toil,  he  sleeps  the  sleep  of 
the  just  till  daybreak."  Audubon  observes  that 
he  sleeps  hanging  head  down.  In  describing  the 


76  EED-BEEASTED  NUTHATCH 

nesting  habits  of  the  Nuthatches  he  notes  that 
both  birds  work  together,  "  all  the  time  congratu- 
lating each  other  in  the  tenderest  manner.  The 
male,  ever  conspicuous  on  such  occasions,  works 
some,  and  carries  off  the  slender  chips  chiseled 
by  the  female.  He  struts  around  her,  peeps  into 
the  hole,  cherups  at  intervals,  or  hovers  about  her 
on  the  wing.  While  she  is  sitting  on  her  eggs,  he 
seldom  absents  himself  many  moments  ;  now  with 
a  full  bill  he  feeds  her,  now  returns,  to  be  assured 
that  her  time  is  pleasantly  spent." 

The  Nuthatches  nest  as  they  mainly  live,  in  the 
woods,  and  their  notes  are  among  the  softest,  most 
pleasing  sounds  in  nature.  They  have  a  peculiar 
woodland  quality  which,  like  the  drumming  of 
the  Grouse,  has  the  power  of  transporting  one  to 
the  quiet,  leafy  forest. 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch :  Sitta  canadensis. 
(Fig.  33,  p.  77.) 

Male,  top  of  head  and  line  through  the  eye  black ;  line  over  eye 
white  ;  upper  parts  bluish  gray  ;  under  parts  reddish  brown. 
Female,  similar,  but  black  replaced  by  bluish  gray.  Length, 
about  4-J  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;  breeds  from 
Manitoba  and  Maine  northward,  and  southward  along  the 
Alleghanies  to  the  mountains  of  North  Carolina;  winters 
from  about  the  southern  limit  of  its  breeding  range  to  the 
Gulf  states. 

The  Nuthatch  is  a  bird  who  always  seems  self- 
possessed  and  full  of  business.  Even  the  one  that 


RED-BREASTED  NUTHATCH 


11 


FIG. 


Audubon  saw  blown  on  shipboard  in  a  gale  three 
hundred  miles  from  shore  was  no  exception,  for 
the  instant  it  lit  on  the  rigging  it  set  to  work  to 
look  for  food  as  calmly  as  if  it  had  been  on  the 
side  of  a  tree  trunk  in  the 
woods. 

Except  in  the    north,  the 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch  is  not 
often    seen    in   the    nesting 
season,   so  when   it   appears 
on  its  migrations  the  day  is     Red-breasted  Nuthatch, 
distinguished.      The  bird  is 
smaller  than  the  White-breast,  and  can  be  recog- 
nized at  a  glance  by  the  stripes  on  its  head  and 
the    reddish    brown 
of    its    breast.      Its 
voice   also   is    quite 
different    from  that 
of  the  common  Nut- 
hatch.   The  Adiron- 
dack forest  is  a  good 
place  to  see  this  bird. 
One  day,  when  rock- 
ing in  a  boat  under  the  overhanging  trees  of  Lake 
Placid,  I  was  given  a  thrill  of   pleasure  by  the 
sight  of  one  of  the  beautiful  little  creatures  creep- 
ing down  a  branch  almost  to  my  very  paddle. 


FIG.  34. 
White-breasted  Nuthatch. 


78  PASSENGER  PIGEON 

Passenger  Pigeon  :  Ectopistes  migratonus. 

Upper  parts  bluish  ;  back  and  sides  of  neck  with  metallic  re- 
flections ;  under  parts  deep  pink.  Length,  about  16£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  north- 
ward in  the  interior  to  Hudson  Bay,  breeding  locally  through- 
out the  more  northern  part  of  its  range. 

Old  inhabitants  still  recount  the  great  flights 
of  the  wild  Pigeon  in  the  days  when  the  sun  used 
to  be  darkened  by  their  multitudes,  and  Wilson 
tells  of  a  flock  that  was  four  hours  in  passing,  its 
line  covering  two  hundred  and  forty  miles  and 
the  movement  of  its  column  being  like  the  "  wind- 
ings of  a  vast  and  majestic  river."  At  that  time 
the  birds  nested  in  roosts  sometimes  forty  miles 
long,  and  the  people  would  come  from  all  parts 
of  the  country,  with  "  wagons,  axes,  beds,  and 
cooking  utensils,"  camping  on  the  ground  with 
their  families  for  days  where  they  could  plunder 
the  roosts.  "  The  noise  in  the  woods  was  so  great 
as  to  terrify  their  horses,"  Wilson  says,  "  and  .  .  . 
it  was  difficult  for  one  person  to  hear  another 
speak  without  bawling  in  his  ear.  The  ground 
was  strewed  with  broken  limbs  of  trees,  eggs,  and 
young  squab  Pigeons  ...  on  which  herds  of  hogs 
were  fattening  .  .  .  the  woods  presented  a  per- 
petual tumult  of  crowding  and  fluttering  multi- 
tudes of  Pigeons,  their  wings  roaring  like  th  uncle?, 
mingled  with  the  frequent  crash  of  falling  tim- 
ber." 

Now,  like  the  buffalo,  hardly  any  Pigeons  are 


PIGEONS  AND  DOVES  79 

left  to  bear  testimony  to  the  destruction  which 
American  thoughtlessness  has  wrought,  and  the 
sight  of  a  single  migrant  stopping  in  one's  woods 
is  cause  for  much  congratulation ! 

The  Passenger  Pigeon,  the  Mourning  Dove,  and 
the  Ground  Dove  are  the  three  best  known  of  the 
family,  and  stand  by  themselves  distinct  from  all 
other  eastern  birds.  As  a  family,  the  Doves  are 
not  gifted  with  song,  but  their  soft  voices,  delicate 
tints,  and  gentle  ways  render  them  among  the  most 
attractive  of  our  birds.  They  are  encouraging  to 
the  beginner,  for  they  help  him  realize  that  birds 
are  not  all  alike,  and  really  may  be  easily  classified. 
As  the  Doves  belong  to  the  family  of  the  domestic 
Pigeons,  the  Quails  and  Grouse  to  the  family  of 
the  domestic  fowls,  other  birds  may  be  quickly 
separated  off  from  the  number  of  confusing,  un- 
known songsters.  The  Crow  and  Hummingbird 
stand  apart,  and  the  Chimney  Swift  and  Swallows 
are  easily  distinguished,  while  the  brilliantly  col- 
ored Cardinal  and  Oriole  are  not  to  be  confounded 
with  the  little  brown  Wrens  of  the  ground  or  the 
gray-blue  Chickadees  and  Nuthatches  of  the  trees. 
The  Bluebird  and  Robin  every  one  recognizes ;  and 
the  two  melodious  cousins,  the  Catbird  and  Mock- 
ingbird, speak  for  themselves.  By  grouping  the 
birds  you  know  and  then  eliminating  them  from 
those  you  do  not  know,  identification  of  the  un- 
known ones  becomes  much  simplified.  If  you 
know  that  a  bird  is  neither  a  Wren,  Nuthatch, 


80  KEY  TO  PIGEONS  AND  DOVES 

Chickadee,  Hummingbird,  Crow,  Swallow,  Quail, 
or  Dove,  you  will  not  have  to  hunt  through  those 
families  for  it,  when  looking  for  its  name.  Elim- 
ination is  the  short  cut  to  identification.  If  you 
know  what  a  bird  is  not,  you  will  soon  know  what 
it  is. 

Key  to  Adult  Male  Doves. 

1.  Small    (length   about   7   inches)  ;   tail  almost   square  ; 
wings  showing  reddish  brown  in  flight.     Southern. 

p.  31.     GROUND  DOVE. 

1'.  Large  (length  12  to  16  inches) ;  tail  long  and  pointed. 
2.  Top  of  head  same  color  as   back  —  bluish  slate  ;  no 
black  spot  on  side  of  neck.   p.  78.   PASSENGER  PIGEON. 

2'.  Top  of  head  not  same  color  as  back  ; 
forehead  brownish  ;  back  of  head  blu- 
ish slate  ;  back  brownish ;  a  small 
black  spot  on  side  of  neck  below  eye. 

p.  29.    MOURNING  DOVE. 

Least  Flycatcher ;  Chebec :  Empidonax  minimus. 
(Plate  V.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States,  west  to 
the  Great  Plains ;  breeds  from  Pennsylvania  and  Nebraska 
northward ;  winters  in  Central  America. 

Through  the  open  windows  in  a  New  England 
village  come  many  bird  songs,  but  none  strike 
the  ear  with  more  distinctness  than  the  frequently 
reiterated  call  of  che-beck'.  It  has  no  poetic  sug- 
gestions, but  after  one  has  traced  it  to  the  fluffy 
little  white-breasted  Flycatcher  up  in  the  trees, 


PLATE  V.  —  LEAST  FLYCATCHER 


Upper  parts  brownish  olive  ;  under  parts  grayish,  darker  on 
breast  and  sides ;  wing  bars  ashy  white  ;  lower  mandible 
horn-color.  Length,  about  5-J  inches. 


LEAST  FLYCATCHER  81 

the  voice  will  recall  a  pleasant  picture.  Besides  its 
regular  call  of  che-beck',  the  Least  has  several  con- 
versational notes,  a  call  that  Major  Bendire  gives 
as  c  s'-lick,  s'-lick,'  and  a  low,  twittering  warble, 
4  whit-we-we.'  If  you  watch  the  pretty  bird  in 
nesting  time  you  will  see  it  fly  to  its  nest,  some- 
times on  a  horizontal  limb,  but  more  often  high 
up  in  a  crotch  where  you  can  just  see  its  owner's 
tail  beyond  the  edge  of  the  compact  round  cup. 
Like  all  its  family,  it  snaps  its  bill  when  it- 
catches  a  fly,  and  shakes  its  wings  and  tail  to 
emphasize  its  remarks. 

The  Least  is  a  most  friendly  little  bird  who 
quickly  responds  to  kindness.  Doctor  Brewer 
tells  of  a  pair  that  began  by  coming  to  a  house 
for  cotton  for  their  nest,  and  finally  drew  nearer 
and  nearer  till  they  built  in  a  clump  of  honey- 
suckles in  a  corner  of  the  piazza.  Mr.  Manly 
Hardy  also  gives  an  interesting  instance  of  the 
friendliness  of  these  attractive  little  folks.  A 
pair  built  regularly  near  or  in  his  garden,  and 
seemed  to  remember  him  from  year  to  year. 
When  he  was  hoeing,  they  would  perch  near  by 
and  fly  down  beside  him  to  catch  the  insects  that 
he  disturbed. 

A  still  more  remarkable  case  of  confident 
friendship  came  to  my  knowledge  in  Farmington, 
Connecticut.  The  Chebec  was  the  pet  of  a  lady 
whose  shrubby  yard  had  many  nesting  birds. 
Almost  every  day  through  the  summer,  when  she 


82  LEAST  FLYCATCHER 

would  go  out  to  water  her  garden  at  five  o'clock 
the  Chebec  would  come  flying  in  to  have  her 
give  him  a  shower-bath.  While  waiting  for  her 
to  get  out  the  hose,  he  would  "  fly  down  on  the 
fence  and  begin  his  talk  ; "  then  she  would  come 
up  within  five  or  six  feet  of  him  and  turn  the 
hose  upon  him  gently.  In  describing  it  she  said : 
"  Of  course  he  does  n't  like  a  very  strong  shower. 
He  says  che-beck'  in  between,  and  when  he  has 
had  enough  he  flies  into  the  bushes  and  preens 
himself  beautifully.  I  wish  you  could  see  him 
shake  himself  !  "  On  the  days  when  the  fountain 
spray  was  set  on  the  grass,  when  it  made  an  arch 
high  enough,  the  little  Flycatcher  would  dart 
through  it  back  and  forth  almost  in  a  circle,  rest- 
ing occasionally  on  the  fence,  as  his  friend  in- 
terpreted it,  "  to  think  about  it  probably,  and  say 
che-beck',  thanks."  At  times,  when  he  tired  of 
these  methods  of  bathing,  he  would  drop  down 
on  the  ground  and  shake  himself  in  the  wet  grass 
blades,  as  a  Canary  does  in  a  bath-tub.  After  tell- 
ing about  all  the  attractive  ways  of  the  friendly 
bird,  the  little  lady  concluded :  "  Now  you  do  not 
wonder  that  I  called  him  the  darling  little  fellow, 
for  I  really  have  an  affection  for  him  ;  "  and  then 
she  went  on  to  say  that,  although  she  lived  by 
herself  in  her  cottage,  she  found  so  much  com- 
panionship in  her  birds  and  flowers  and  trees 
that  she  could  never  be  lonely. 


KINGBIRD 


83 


FIG.  35. 

Kingbird  :   Tyrannus  tyrannus. 

Upper  parts  blackish  ;  under  parts  white,  washed  with  gray  on 

breast ;  head  with  a  concealed  red  patch  ;  tail  tipped  with  a 

white  band.     Length,  about  8-$-  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  north  to  New 

Brunswick  and  Manitoba  ;  rare  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ; 

winters  in  Central  and  South  America. 

The  sight  of  a  Crow  being  chased  by  a  bird 


84  KINGBIRD 

less  than  half  its  size  is  a  very  familiar  one  in 
the  country,  and  an  equally  common  one  is  that 
of  a  gray  bird  with  a  white  breast  sitting  on  a 
roadside  fence,  occasionally  darting  up  with  a 
loud,  twittering  cry.  By  watching  him  a  little 
he  will  often  be  seen  hovering  over  a  weed  in  a 
meadow,  his  fluttering  wings  supporting  him  so 
well  that  he  seems  to  be  hanging  in  air.  At 
other  times  we  may  see  him  start  up  from  an 
apple-tree  top  and  fly  obliquely  into  the  air  as 
energetically  as  if  bound  for  the  zenith ;  then 
suddenly  whirl  and  sail  back  on  outspread  wings, 
the  white  band  on  his  fan-shaped  tail  showing  to 
the  best  advantage. 

Now  what  are  we  to  infer  from  all  these  per- 
formances ?  That  he  is  a  doughty  warrior,  ready 
to  cross  lances  with  the  black  giants  of  the 
land,  is  plain  to  see ;  but  what  mean  all  his 
curious  aerial  evolutions  ?  The  answer  is  simple, 
—  he  is  moved  by  no  occult  impulses,  but  is 
merely  pursuing  the  prosaic  occupation  common 
to  all  mortal  men,  —  getting  his  dinner !  To  be 
sure,  he  does  it  with  many  unnecessary  flourishes 
and  much  superfluous  show  of  enjoyment,  exciting 
our  admiration,  not  only  by  his  grace  of  wing, 
but  by  his  power  of  sight.  Indeed,  one  careful 
observer  has  seen  a  Kingbird  start  from  a  tele- 
graph pole  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet 
away,  and  fly  up  to  within  twenty-five  feet  of 
him  for  an  insect  which  was  invisible  to  the  man, 


KINGBIBD 


85 


though  the  bird  had  seen  it  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  away ! 

In  fact,  he  has  been  so  loudly  accused  of  eating 
honey-bees  that  the  examiners  of  bird  stomachs 
in  the  Department  of  Agriculture  have  made  a 
special  study  of  his  food.  Of  218  stomachs  ex- 
amined, only  14  contained  any  trace  of  honey- 
bees, and  nearly  all  those  were  drones  ;  so,  to  say 
the  least,  the  habit  is  much  less  prevalent  than 
supposed.  In  addition  to  this  negative  evidence, 
it  has  been  found  that  90  per  cent,  of  his  food  is 
insects,  mostly  injurious  kinds.  Among  them 
are  the  gadfly,  so  terrifying  to  horses  and  cat- 
tle ;  the  destructive  clover-leaf  weevil,  rose  chafer, 
ants,  and  grasshop- 
pers. Several  as- 
paragus beetles  were 
found  in  one  stom- 
ach, and  40  rose  chaf- 
ers in  another.  The 
King  is  especially  an 
orchard  bird,  though 
in  addition  to  fruit 
beetles  he  eats  many 
grain  destroyers  when 

he  hunts  in  the  meadows.  Indeed,  the  conclusion 
reached  by  the  ornithologists  is  that  the  King- 
bird is  one  of  the  best  helps  the  farmer  has  in 
the  destruction  of  harmful  insects.  One  corre- 
spondent exclaims  fervently,  "  I  honor  and  esteem 


FIG.  36. 
Rose  Chafer,  eaten  by  Kingbird. 


86  KINGBIRD 

this  bird  for  the  millions  of  ruinous  vermin  he 
rids  us  of  !  " 

In  the  matter  of  fruit  the  Kingbird  is  most  ex- 
emplary, eating  only  three  or  four  kinds  of  culti- 
vated fruit.  If  he  were  to  harm  any  one  kind,  it 
would  be  a  simple  matter  to  attract  his  attention 
to  some  wild  fruit,  since  he  feeds  on  wild  red  and 
black  cherries,  choke-cherries,  elderberries,  mul- 
berries, wild  grapes,  spice  bush,  sassafras,  cornel, 
red  and  ground  cedar,  buckthorn,  magnolia,  and 
pokeberry.  His  vegetable  foods  are  almost  en- 
tirely wild  fruits  of  no  economic  value.  As  a  Fly- 
catcher, the  Kingbird  is  a  good  representative  of 
the  family,  having  the  big  head,  large  shoulders, 
and  Quaker  dress.  The  bill  is  also  the  typical 
Flycatcher  bill  —  flat  and  broad,  with  a  clasp  at 
the  end,  and  stiff,  bristly  hairs  at  the  base,  both 
of  which  help  to  hold  the  insects  that  have  been 
seized.  (See  Fig.  38,  p.  92.) 

Besides  being  such  an  important  citizen  in  his 
public  capacity,  the  Kingbird  is  most  interesting 
in  his  domestic  life,  as  Mrs.  Miller  demonstrates 
in  her  valuable  study  of  a  nest  in  '  Little  Bro- 
thers of  the  Air.'  She  shows  that  he  is  no 
tyrant,  but  merely  a  watchful  guardian  of  the 
nest,  and  she  calls  attention  to  the  little-known 
song  with  which  he  shows  his  domestic  happiness. 
The  Kingbird  will  amply  repay  close  watching, 
and  his  large,  low  orchard  nest  offers  one  of  the 
best  opportunities  for  careful  study  of  bird' char- 


PHCEBE  87 

acter.  A  curious  case  of  nest  guardianship  is 
told  me  by  Mrs.  G.  C.  Maynard,  whose  son  one 
day  climbed  a  Kingbird's  tree  to  look  at  the  eggs. 
The  old  birds  flew  at  his  head  so  angrily  that  he 
had  to  get  his  hat  to  protect  himself.  When  he 
appeared  a  second  time,  after  the  birds  thought 
they  had  driven  him  off,  and  coming  shielded  by 
a  hat  which  rendered  their  attacks  futile,  the 
Kingbirds  were  overwrought;  and  although  the 
boy  did  nothing  but  look  at  their  eggs,  from  that 
time  on  they  could  not  bear  the  sight  of  that  hat. 
Whenever  the  lad  passed  with  it  on,  they  would 
fly  at  him  ;  and  one  day,  when  his  mother  snatched 
it  up  as  she  hurried  to  the  orchard,  although  they 
were  quite  accustomed  to  her  visits  to  their  tree, 
they  swooped  down  and  actually  struck  the 
offending  head-covering  with  their  wings. 

Phoebe  :  Sayornis  phcebe. 

Upper  parts  grayish  brown ;  under  parts  white,  washed  with 
yellowish.  Length,  about  7  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  South  Carolina  to  Newfoundland  and  Manitoba,  and 
winters  from  North  Carolina  to  Cuba  and  Mexico. 

The  Phoebe,  like  the  Robin,  is  one  of  the  homely, 
confiding  birds  for  whom  we  have  a  peculiar  affec- 
tion. Like  the  Robin,  she  often  comes  about  our 
houses  and  builds  her  nest  in  a  crotch  of  the 
piazza,  as  if  putting  her  brood  under  our  protec- 
tion. Though  she  may  not  be  as  neat  a  house- 
keeper as  some,  her  presence  is  such  a  valuable 


88 


PHCEBE 


nature-lesson  for  our  children  that  she  should  be 
eagerly  welcomed  for  that  reason  alone.  Beauti- 
ful indeed  is  the  sympathy  that  grows  up  between 


the  family  in  the  big  mossy  nest  in  the  piazza 
and  the  little  folks  that  watch  below.  How  fear- 
less the  old  birds  become  as  the  days  go  by ! 
And  how  anxiously  all  their  enemies  are  driven 
off  for  them ;  how  eagerly  their  nestlings  are 
watched  ;  and  finally,  with  what  mingled  feelings 
of  pride  and  regret  the  first  flights  of  the  depart- 
ing brood  are  witnessed ! 

When  the  Phoebe  does  not  nest  under  the  shel- 
tering roof  of  a  house,  it  often  builds  on  a  rafter 
of  an  old  shed  or  barn,  where  it  may  be  seen 


PHCEBE  89 

perching  on  the  ridgepole  with  crest  raised  and 
wings  and  tail  hanging.  It  may  also  be  found 
nesting  under  bridges  and  on  rocks  or  cliffs. 
When  seen,  now  and  then  it  cries  out  hip1,  hip', 
or  with  a  jerk  of  the  tail  calls  pho8r-be,  phoe'-be. 
It  sits  turning  its  head  and  looking  over  its 
shoulder  this  way  and  that  till,  spying  an  insect, 
it  suddenly  darts  into  the  air,  snaps  its  bill  con- 
clusively, and  then  settles  back  on  a  perch.  In 
Florida  the  Phrebe  is  said  to  vary  this  practice 
by  lighting  on  the  backs  of  cattle,  taking  a  ride 
with  the  laudable  excuse  of  catching  flies.  For 
like  the  Kingbird  it  is  a  Flycatcher  and  makes 
its  living  from  our  insect  pests.  Few  fish  are 
rejected  that  visit  the  Phrebe's  net.  Not  only 
does  it  help  clear  the  air  of  the  flies  and  wasps 
that  annoy  cattle,  but  it  eats  May  beetles  and 
click  beetles,  both  of  which  injure  the  crops  ; 
and  also  helps  free  the  trees  of  elm  leaf-beetles, 
and  the  vegetable  gardens  of  squash  beetles,  bugs, 
caterpillars,  grasshoppers,  and  the  bean  'and  pea 
weevils.  When  it  is  seen  perched  on  mullein 
stalks  after  its  arrival  in  the  spring,  it  is  lying  in 
wait  for  the  moth  of  the  cutworm.  In  fact,  as 
Professor  Beal  says,  "  it  is  evident  that  a  pair 
of  Phosbes  must  materially  reduce  the  number  of 
insects  near  a  garden  or  field,  as  the  birds  often, 
if  not  always,  raise  two  broods  a  year,  and  each 
brood  numbers  from  four  to  six  young."  He  con- 
cludes :  "  There  is  hardly  a  more  useful  species 


90  WOOD  PEWEE 

about  the  farm  and  it  should  receive  every  en- 
couragement and  be  protected  from  cats  and 
other  marauders,  for  it  will  repay  such  care  a 
hundred  fold." 

Wood  Pewee  :  Contopus  virens. 

Upper  parts  blackish  brown  ;  under  parts  whitish,  washed  with 
olive  ;  wing1  bars  whitish ;  lower  mandible  pale  brown  or  yel- 
lowish. Length,  about  6|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  Florida  to  Newfoundland  ;  winters  in  Central  and  South 
America. 

In  Ohio  it  is  almost  exceptional  to  find  an 
orchard  without  its  pair  of  Wood  Pewees,  Mr.  H. 
C.  Oberholser  says  ;  and  in  Farmington,  Connec- 
ticut, on  the  grounds  of  Miss  Porter's  school  and 
also  on  the  village  streets,  one  of  the  commonest 
bird  notes  is  the  clear,  plaintive  pee'-ah-wee  of  the 
sweet-voiced  Flycatcher.  Once  heard  and  listened 
to,  the  note  will  never  be  forgotten.  Some  birds' 
songs,  like  the  ordinary  one  of  the  Mockingbird, 
impress  you  as  matters  of  execution  and  at  times 
of  gossip,  but  the  minor  call  of  the  Wood  Pewee 
seems  the  simple,  sincere  utterance  of  the  heart. 
Of  course  the  Pewee,  being  mortal,  is  not  always 
in  poetic  mood,  and  in  its  commonplace  moments 
it  has  a  rapid,  twittering  twit' -ter-rah,  given  with 
quivering  wings  and  tail.  Mrs.  Miller  says  it 
has  also  a  low,  pleasing  song. 

The  voice  of  the  Wood  Pewee  is  recognized 
quickly,  but  the  bird  itself  is  a  little  hard  to  find 


WOOD  PEWEE  91 

in  a  treetop,  and  when  not  singing  may  be  con- 
fused with  the  Phoebe.  Two  things  help  one, 
however,  for  to  the  patient  observer  the  Pe wee's 
habit  of  flying  out  after  insects  will  betray  his 
whereabouts  ;  and  his  distinct  whitish  wing  bars 
will  separate  him  from  his  cousin,  the  Phoebe. 
Then,  too,  he  is  smaller  and  sits  more  upright 
than  the  plump,  fluffy  Phoebe. 

When  watching  a  Pewee  in  Farmington  one 
day,  I  was  much  puzzled  by  her  actions.  Again 
and  again  she  crossed  a  wide  open  space  and  flew 
against  the  side  of  a  tree  trunk.  What  food 
could  she  be  finding  there  ?  Putting  up  my 
opera-glass,  I  was  delighted  to  discover  a  round 
patch  of  light  green  lichen  on  the  spot  to  which 
she  went,  and  following  her  flight  saw  her  go 
straight  as  an  arrow  to  a  crotch  in  a  treetop, 
where  she  sat  down  and  went  to  moulding  a  little 
knot  in  the  crotch.  She  had  been  gathering 
lichen  for  her  nest !  It  seems  a  simple  matter, 
but  after  years  of  delight  in  the  exquisite  lichen- 
covered  nest  of  the  Wood  Pewee  —  a  nest  excelled 
by  none  but  the  Hummingbird's  —  it  is  enough 
to  start  one's  pulses  to  see  the  dainty  builder  actu- 
ally putting  on  her  decorations.  To  the  true  bird- 
lover  life  cannot  be  altogether  blank  while  such 
pleasures  are  to  be  had  for  the  looking. 

Grouped  together,  the  four  commonest  Flycatch- 
ers can  easily  be  distinguished  from  each  other. 
In  size  they  grade  down  from  the  Kingbird  to 


92  WOOD  PEWEE 

I -Kingbird         the  Least,  and  each  one  has  dis- 

1 1  j"w<Sdepewee  thictive  characters.  The  Kingbird 
1 1 1 1  e  can  be  told  at  a  glance  by  his  large 

size  and  the  white  band  on  the  end  of  his  tail ; 
the  Wood  Pewee  may  be  distinguished  from  the 
Phoebe  by  its  white  wing  bars;  while  the  Least 
may  be  known  by  its  small  size,  its  wing  bars, 
and  call  of  che-beck'.  (See  Plate  XIII.  p.  258.) 
The  Kingbird  is  the  one  seen  chasing  Crows  and 
Hawks ;  the  Phoebe,  the  house,  barn,  and  bridge 
bird  ;  and  the  Wood  Pewee,  the  pensive,  poetic 
architect  of  the  lichen-covered  nest. 

Looked  at  as  a  group,  all  four  birds  have  the 
prominent  Flycatcher  characters  —  the  gray  plu- 
mage,  large   heads  and  shoulders, 
and    broad,    flat,  slightly  hooked, 
bristling  bills  (Fig.  38). 

As  flycatching  birds,  the  Fly- 
catchers' methods  of  hunting  dif- 
Bill  of  Flycatcher.  fer  markedly  from  those  of  the 
Swifts  and  Swallows,  who  simply 
go  through  the  air  devouring  all  they  meet ;  for 
the  Flycatchers  lie  in  wait  for  passing  insects, 
flying  out  from  a  perch  and  dropping  back 
again  to  wait  for  more.  Grouped  by  song,  the 
Flycatchers  rank  with  the  songless  Grouse  and 
Doves,  or  the  minor  songsters,  such  as  Swal- 
lows, Chickadees,  Nuthatches,  and  Hummingbirds ; 
rather  than  with  the  Mockingbirds,  Catbirds, 
Wrens,  and  Orioles.  Like  some  other  birds,  they 


CROW  BLACKBIRD 


93 


have  the  useful  power  of  regurgitating  indigestible 
portions  of  their  food. 


FIG.  39. 


Crow  Blackbird :  Quiscalus  quiscula  and  allies. 

Adult  male,  head,  neck,  and  breast  metallic  iridescent  pur- 
plish ;  rest  of  body  bronzy,  purple,  or  green.  Adult  female, 
duller,  but  back  with  traces  of  iridescence.  Length,  12£ 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  United  States  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains ;  north  to  Newfoundland  and  Great  Slave  Lake ; 
breeds  throughout  most  of  its  range  ;  winters  from  North 
Carolina  and  southern  Illinois  to  Texas. 

Before  the  chill  of  melting  snow  is  out  of  the 
air,  while  spring  is  still  vacillating  in  her  advance 
upon  March,  bustling  troops  of  Crow  Blackbirds 


94  CROW  BLACKBIRD 

appear  on  the  brown  grass  and  in  the  bare 
trees,  making  such  a  merry  clatter  and  looking 
so  big  and  positive  that  all  uncertainty  seems 
over,  and  we  can  no  longer  doubt  that  summer  is 
on  the  way.  Our  spirits  rise  as  we  watch  them 
walk  about,  gurgling  and  squeaking  jovially  to 
each  other,  and  we  welcome  them  as  we  do  the 
Jack-in-the-pulpit  and  the  Wake-robin,  though 
later  in  the  spring  our  thoughts  may  be  filled  by 
rarer,  more  delicate  flowers  and  more  tuneful 
birds. 

How  full  of  business  the  birds  appear  as  they 
walk  over  the  lawns  and  parks  regardless  of  ob- 
servers who  stop  to  admire  their  glossy,  irides- 
cent coats,  and  who  smile  as  they  fly  up  on  a 
branch  with  a  squawk  to  scrape  their  bills  and 
shake  their  tails  !  When  they  fly,  lookers-on  are 
still  more  interested,  for  they  spread  their  long 
tails  and  turn  them  into  rudders  with  which  to 
steer  their  course.  When  the  Crow  Blackbirds  go 
to  nesting,  they  still  keep  in  colonies.  They  build 
bulky  nests  of  mud  and  grasses,  and  lay  bluish 
eggs  singularly  scrawled.  As  their  name  sug- 
gests they  have  many  mannerisms  of  the  Crows, 
with  whom,  like  other  birds  who  get  most  of 
their  food  on  the  ground,  they  share  the  habit  of 
sedately  walking  instead  of  hopping  as  tree-feed- 
ing birds  do  when  they  descend  to  earthly  matters. 
It  would  indeed  seem  strange  and  unseemly  for  a 
dignified  Grouse  or  Dove  to  hop,  but  on  the  other 


CEOW  BLACKBIRD 


95 


hand  how  greatly  out  of  character  would  it  appear 
for  a  merry  Chickadee  to  walk ! 

The  food  the  Blackbirds  get  on  the  ground 
varies.  In  some  localities,  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year,  they  fall  upon  the  grain  fields  in  flocks 
of  hundreds  or  thousands  and  do  much  harm. 
This  is  very  exceptional,  however,  in  the  east. 
Ordinarily  about  one  third  of  their  food  consists 
of  insects,  the  greater  part  of  which  are  injurious. 
One  of  their  commonest  occupations  is  following 


FIG.  40. 
May  Beetles  and  White  Grubs,  eaten  by  Crow  Blackbird. 

the  plow,  after  which  their  stomachs  are  found 
'  crammed  with  grubs.'  They  also  eat  grasshop- 
pers, crickets,  locusts,  adult  grubs  or  May  beetles 
(Fig.  40)  and  the  destructive  rose  bug  and  curcu- 


96  RED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD 

lio.     In  fact,  Professor  Beal  concludes  that  "  by 
destroying  insects  they  do  incalculable  good." 

Red-winged  Blackbird  :   Agelaius  phceniceus. 
(Plate  VI.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.— North  America,  from  Costa  Rica 
to  Great  Slave  Lake  and  New  Brunswick ;  breeds  throughout 
most  of  the  United  States  and  its  Canadian  range,  and  winters 
from  Virginia  southward. 

In  Minnesota  there  is  a  bounty  on  the  Red-wing, 
but  its  grain-eating  habit  is  purely  local,  and,  as 
Professor  Beal  has  found,  nearly  seven  eighths  of 
its  food  is  of  injurious  weeds  and  insects  whose 
destruction  is  a  decided  benefit  to  agriculture. 
This  shows  unmistakably  that  the  bird  should  be 
protected,  except  perhaps  in  a  few  places  where 
it  may  be  too  abundant. 

Prof.  Lawrence  Bruner  says :  "  In  the  Red- 
winged  Blackbird  we  have  a  friend  that  we  little 
dream  of  when  we  see  the  large  flocks  gathering 
about  our  cornfields  during  late  summer  and  early 
fall.  During  the  balance  of  the  year  it  is  en- 
gaged most  of  the  time  in  waging  war  upon 
various  insect  pests,  including  such  forms  as  the 
grub  worms,  cutworms,  grasshoppers,  army  worm, 
beet  caterpillar,  etc.  Even  when  it  visits  our 
cornfields  it  more  than  pays  for  the  corn  it  eats, 
by  the  destruction  of  the  worms  that  lurk  under 
the  husks  of  the  large  per  cent,  of  the  ears  in 
every  field. 


PLATE   VI.  —  RED-WINGED   BLACKBIRD 

Adult  male,  epaulettes  bright  scarlet,  edged  with  whitish  ;  rest 
of  plumage  black.  Adult  female,  upper  parts  dark  brown, 
streaked  ;  under  parts  buffy,  streaked  with  brown ;  throat 
tinged  with  orange  or  yellow.  Length,  about  9i  inches. 


BED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD 


97 


"  Several  years  ago  the  beet  fields  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Grand  Island  were  threatened  with  great 
injury  by  a  certain  caterpillar  that  had  nearly 
defoliated  all  the  beets  growing  in  many  of  them. 
At  about  this  time  large  flocks  of  this  bird  ap- 
peared, and  after  a  week's  sojourn  the  caterpillar 
plague  had  vanished." 

Throughout  the  summer  the  Red-wing  feeds 
largely  on  insects,  and  even  while  grain  is  still  to 
be  had  it  begins  to 
eat  weed  seed,  and 
continues  through 
the  winter  serving 
the  farmer  by  de- 
stroying such  pests 
as  ragweed,  fox- 
tail grass  and  bind- 
weed. In  fact,  sta- 
tistics show  that  57 
per  cent,  of  its  to- 
tal vegetable  food 
is  composed  of  nox- 
ious weeds,  as  against  13  per  cent,  of  grain.  In 
the  ricefields  of  the  south,  Doctor  Fisher  tells 
us,  the  Red-wing  does  considerable  good  in  winter 
by  eating  the  volunteer  rice,  which  is  degenerate 
grain  that  has  escaped  from  the  cultivated  squares 
of  rice. 

Besides  having  an  economic  interest  in  the  Red- 
wing, every  bird-lover  must  be  personally  attracted 


FIG.  41. 
Clover  Leaf-beetle. 


98  COWBIED 

to  him.  Who  is  not  conscious  of  a  thrill  of  plea- 
sure  at  sight  of  one  of  the  handsome  birds  sailing 
down  to  a  fence  with  scarlet  epaulettes  fairly 
standing  out  on  his  shoulders,  and  who  can  but 
respond  to  the  sight  of  a  flock  swinging  over  the 
blades  of  a  marsh  ?  The  birds  of  the  lawn  have 
their  own  place  in  our  affections,  but  the  o-ka-lee 
of  the  Red-wing  stirs  associations  whose  richness  is 
all  their  own.  Bolles  speaks  of  the  theory  that  all 
bird  music  is  imitative  of  the  sounds  best  known 
to  the  species,  and  this  seems  to  be  borne  out  by 
the  notes  of  the  Red-wings,  for  they  have  'the 
sound  of  water  running  through  their  sweet  mea- 
sures.' 

Cowbird :   Moloihrus  ater. 

Adult  male,  head  and  neck  brown  ;  rest  of  plumage  glossy  black 

with  metallic  reflections.     Adult  female,  dark  brownish  gray, 

lighter  below.     Length,  about  8  inches. 
GEOGBAPHIC   DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds   from  Texas  to  New 

Brunswick  and  Manitoba ;  rarer  in  the  western  United  States  ; 

winters  from    southern    Illinois  and  Virginia   southward   to 

Mexico. 

'  Buffalo  Bird  '  used  to  be  one  of  the  names  of 
the  Cowbird  on  the  plains,  and  Major  Bendire 
says  that  in  the  prairie  states  now  "  one  will 
rarely  see  a  bunch  of  cattle  without  an  attend- 
ing flock  of  Cowbirds,  who  perch  on  their  backs, 
searching  for  parasites."  This  occupation  is  not 
interrupted  by  the  ordinary  cares  of  family  life, 
for  the  Cowbird  builds  no  nest  of  its  own,  but 
foists  its  offspring  upon  its  neighbors. 


COWBIED  99 

Probably  the  historic  cause  of  this  remarkable 
habit  would  give  us  more  charity  for  the  bird,  but 
it  does  such  violence  to  the  one  redeeming  instinct 
of  the  lowest  types  of  man  and  beast  that  it  is 
hard  not  to  regard  the  bird  with  unqualified 
aversion.  Not  only  is  it  entirely  lacking  in  the 
maternal  but  in  the  conjugal  instincts,  for  it  prac- 
tices polyandry.  On  the  other  hand,  the  male 
Cowbird  is  polygamous,  and  Mr.  Bidgway  tells  us 
"  becomes  quite  amorous  during  the  breeding  sea- 
son, parading  before  the  females  with  spread  wings 
and  tails,  now  and  then  swelling  up  till  he  seems 
ready  to  burst ;  but  the  looked-for  catastrophe  is 
prevented  by  the  emission  of  a  ridiculous  squeak- 
ing song,  when  he  subsides  to  his  original  propor- 
tions." The  only  thing  that  can  be  said  in  favor 
of  the  female  Cowbird  is  that  she  takes  pains  to 
place  her  eggs  where  they  are  most  likely  to  be 
hatched.  Major  Bendire  gives  a  list  of  ninety- 
one  birds  in  whose  nests  she  has  been  known  to 
leave  her  eggs  :  but  though  this  includes  Wood- 
peckers, Flycatchers,  Orioles,  Thrushes,  Sparrows, 
Vireos,  Wrens,  and  Warblers,  the  birds  most  fre- 
quently imposed  upon  are  so  small  that  the  Cow- 
bird's  big,  crowding  nestling  will  be  the  one  to 
survive  when  it  is  a  question  of  size  and  resisting 
power.  It  is  said  that  as  many  as  seven  Cowbird 
eggs  have  been  found  in  a  single  nest,  but  there 
is  usually  only  one.  The  eggs  generally  hatch 
before  those  of  the  rightful  owners  of  the  nest, 


100  COWBIBD 

and  the  young  grow  so  rapidly  and  to  such  size 
that  they  either  smother  or  crowd  out  the  smaller 
birds.  Major  Bendire  exclaims  indignantly  :  "  A 
brood  of  insectivorous  and  useful  birds  is  almost 
invariably  sacrificed  for  every  Cowbird  raised." 
Mr.  Ridgway,  in  his  interesting  book  on  the  birds 
of  Illinois,  gives  a  vivid  picture  of  the  female 
Cowbird  when  she  is  searching  for  a  nest  in  which 
to  deposit  her  egg.  "  She  hunts  stealthily  through 
the  woods,"  he  says,  "  usually  among  the  under- 
growth, and  when  a  nest  is  discovered,  patiently 
awaits  from  a  convenient  hiding-place  the  tem- 
porary absence  of  the  parent,  when  the  nest  is 
stealthily  and  hastily  inspected,  and  if  found 
suitable  she  takes  possession  and  deposits  her 
egg,  when  she  departs  as  quietly  as  she  came." 
Some  of  the  foster  parents  abandon  their  nests, 
or  build  a  second  nest  over  the  eggs,  but  usually 
the  milk  of  human  kindness  conquers,  and  the 
little  bird  does  her  best  to  bring  up  the  foundling. 
In  the  village  of  Farmington,  Connecticut,  we 
once  saw  a  Song  Sparrow  on  a  lawn  feeding  a  Cow- 
bird  bigger  than  she.  When  she  handed  it  a  worm, 
one  of  my  field  class  exclaimed  in  astonishment, 
"  I  thought  the  big  bird  was  the  mother."  And 
well  she  might,  for  when  the  fat  nestling  towered 
above  its  foster  parent,  insistently  shaking  its 
wings,  the  poor,  hard-worked  little  Sparrow,  with 
her  own  wings  tight  at  her  sides  and  a  general 
harried  air  of  hurry,  looked  thinner  and  smaller 


RUSTY  BLACKBIRD  101 

and  meeker  than  ever  before.  It  was  pathetic. 
Close  at  her  heels  pressed  the  big,  impatient  Cow- 
bird,  whose  existence  had  probably  cost  the  lives 
of  her  own  brood,  not  one  of  whom  was  left  alive 
to  follow  the  little  mother. 

Rusty  Blackbird :   Scolecophagus  carolinus. 

Adult   male    in  nesting  plumage,   uniform  glossy  bluish  black. 

Adult  female  in  spring,  slate  color,  glossy  above,  duller  below. 

Adults  in  fall  and  winter,  upper  parts  tipped  with  brown  or 

rusty ;  under  parts  tipped  with  buffy.  Length,  about  9^  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  the  Adirondacks 

and  Northern  Minnesota,  northward  to  Labrador  and  Alaska  ; 

winters  from  Virginia  southward. 

In  spring,  when  large  flocks  of  Blackbirds  are 
roaming  over  the  country,  one  may  perhaps  be 
confused  by  them,  but  with  a  little  care  they  will 
easily  be  distinguished.  The  Crow  Blackbirds 
may  be  known  by  their  large  size  and  long  tails. 
The  male  Cowbird  may  be  told  at  a  glance  by  his 
chocolate-colored  head,  the  Red-wing  by  his  epau- 
lettes, and  the  Rusty  by  his  uniform  glossiness. 
The  female  Red-wing,  on  the  other  hand,  may  be 
recognized  by  her  streakedness  ;  while  the  female 
Cowbird  can  be  distinguished  from  the  Rusty  by 
the* larger  size  of  the  Rusty,  and  the  fact  that  it  is 
slaty  in  spring  and  rust-color  in  fall  and  winter. 
The  bill  of  the  Cowbird  (Fig.  42)  is  distinctive  in 
all  plumages,  being  short  and  thick,  as  is  seen  from 
comparison  with  that  of  the  Meadowlark  (Fig. 
43),  which  the  Red-wing's  resembles  in  type.  In 


102  RUSTY  BLACKBIRD 

the  nesting  season  identification  is  simple,  for  the 
female  Red-wings  are  with  their  gorgeously  epau- 
letted  mates  in  the  marshes;  the  Cowbirds  are 


FIG.  42.  FIG.  43. 

BiU  of  Cowbird.  Bill  of  Meadowlark. 

wandering  about  the  pastures  with  the  cows ;  and 
the  Rusty  Blackbirds  have  disappeared  to  their 
northern  homes. 

Major  Bendire  says  that  the  Rusty  Grackle  "  is 
much  more  of  a  forest-loving  species  than  the 
other  Blackbirds,  and  during  the  breeding  season 
it  appears  to  be  far  less  gregarious.  Its  favorite 
haunts  in  the  Adirondacks  are  the  swampy  and 
heavily  wooded  shores  of  the  many  little  moun- 
tain lakes  and  ponds  found  everywhere  in  this 
region,  and  here  it  spends  the  season  of  repro- 
duction in  comparative  solitude." 

In  winter,  the  Major  says,  the  Rusty  Blackbirds 
may  be  seen  occasionally  about  barns  and  stock- 
yards, usually  by  themselves,  but  sometimes  in 
company  with  other  Blackbirds.  He  observes 
that  their  mode  of  flight  resembles  that  of  the 
Red-wing,  and  that  "  when  feeding,  while  moving 
along,  the  rearmost  fly  over  the  others  and  alight 
again  in  the  front  ranks.  Their  notes  are  much 


BOBOLINK  103 

more  musical  than  those  of  the  Grackles  or  other 
Blackbirds.  The  ordinary  call  note  sounds  like 
'  tchack,  tchack,'  several  times  repeated ;  another 
is  like  '  turulee,  turulee,  turulee,'  uttered  in  a 
clear  tone,  and  varied  occasionally  to  4  trallahee, 
trallahee.'" 


FIG.  44. 

Bobolink  :   Dolichonyx  oryzivorus. 
(Plate  VII.  p.  104.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  southern  New  Jer- 
sey and  central  Illinois  northward  to  Nova  Scotia,  and  west- 
ward to  Utah  and  Montana ;  leaves  the  United  States  by  way 
of  Florida,  and  winters  in  South  America. 

The  return  of  the  birds  is  a  record  of  daily 
increasing  pleasure,  but  it  is  only  a  quickening  and 
a  promise  until  the  glad  day  in  May  when  we  go 
to  the  meadows  and  find  that  the  Bobolinks  have 
come.  Then  the  cup  of  summer  gladness  seems 
full.  The  Bobolinks  like  a  field  adjoining  an 
orchard,  so  that  they  can  fly  up  and  make  a  sing- 
ing gallery  of  the  apple-tree  tops,  but  the  high 
nodding  weeds  of  a  meadow  also  please  them 
very  well.  Just  on  the  edge  of  the  beautiful  old 


104  BOBOLINK 

village  of  Farmington  they  keep  the  meadows 
ringing  with  their  songs.  I  remember  passing 
one  field  where  the  birds  made  black  spots  on  the 
isolated  weeds  in  tne  distance,  and  other  black 
forms  started  up  out  of  the  deep  grass  nearer  by 
and  crossed  and  recrossed  the  meadow  in  intersect- 
ing lines  singing,  till  my  companions,  some  of  them 
hearing  the  song  for  the  first  time,  pressed  to  the 
meadow  fence  and  stood  in  silent  delight  listening 
to  the  jubilant  chorus.  The  joyous  birds  seemed 
to  fly  back  and  forth  for  the  very  purpose  of  freer 
song,  the  rapid,  jumbled,  tumbling  medley  need- 
ing the  motion  of  the  wings  for  its  fullest  out- 
pouring. One  day  I  saw  a  curious  sight:  a 
singing  Bobolink  when  in  mid  air  raised  his  wings 
over  his  back  and  held  them  there  like  set  sails, 
and  then  threw  up  his  head  and  throat  as  if  to 
let  the  song  bubble  out.  The  flying  birds  often 
put  down  their  wings  and  hold  them  stiff  as  they 
sail  down  to  the  ground. 

When  watching  a  field  of  Bobolinks,  one  is 
impressed  by  their  originality  of  dress.  While 
most  other  birds  are  lighter  underneath  than 
above,  the  Bobolink  is  just  the  opposite.  But 
instead  of  being  an  exception  to  the  law  of  pro- 
tective coloration,  this  may  be  to  protect  him 
from  the  weasels  and  other  nocturnal  enemies 
that  come  on  him  when  he  sleeps  on  the  ground. 
Then,  too,  the  Bobolink's  diurnal  enemies  see  him 
from  above ;  he  lives  without  cover,  in  an  open, 


PLATE  VII.  —  BOBOLINK 

Adult  male  in  spring,  head,  under  parts,  wings,  and  tail  black ; 
back  of  neck  with  buffy  patch  ;  back  largely  grayish  white  ; 
tail  feathers  pointed.  Female,  young,  and  adult  male  in  fall, 
upper  parts  brownish,  streaked  with  black ;  under  parts  buffy. 
Length,  about  7£  inches. 


BOBOLINK  105 

exposed  meadow.  If  he  were  black  above,  he 
would  be  a  target  for  all  passing  Hawks  and  other 
gunners.  At  all  events  he  is  light  above :  his  top 
colors  approximate  to  the  meadow  tints,  but  his 
breast,  invisible  when  he  is  on  the  ground  by  his 
nest,  is  a  glossy,  handsome  black  which  may  well 
please  the  eye  of  his  lady.  When  he  rises  from 
the  friendly  cover  of  the  meadow  to  wing  his  way 
to  the  south,  he  shows  another  wonderful  example 
of  nature's  work  in  eliminating  dangerous  charac- 
ters and  fostering  the  beneficial  ones.  He  moults, 
and  the  whole  Lincoln  family  proceed  on  their 
travels,  like  so  many  demurely  dressed  Sparrows. 
When  the  Bobolinks  go  south  they  stop  on  the 
way,  first  in  the  marshes,  where  they  are  known  as 
4  Reed-birds,'  and  then  in  the  ricefields  of  South 
Carolina  and  Georgia,  where  they  are  known  as 
'  Rice-birds/  Here  they  do  great  harm,  and  are 
killed  in  such  numbers  that  our  northern  mead- 
ows are  fast  losing  their  choruses  ;  for  it  is  a 
lamentable  fact  that  the  intelligence  which  leads 
a  bird  to  adopt  as  food  the  crops  which  man  has 
planted  must  in  many  cases  prove  its  own  de- 
struction. Most  of  the  devices  that  have  been 
tried  to  protect  the  rice  have  failed,  but  in  the 
neighborhood  of  St.  Louis  a  number  of  planters 
have  adopted  a  helpful  measure.  When  feeding 
on  the  rice  in  its  milky  state,  the  birds  need  to 
wash  their  bills  frequently  to  free  them  from  the 
gummy  matter  that  comes  from  the  rice,  so  the 


106 


MEADOWLARK 


planters  draw  off  the  water  from  the  fields,  obli- 
ging the  birds  to  take  time  to  go  a  long  distance 
for  water.  In  the  north  it  is  hard  for  us  to 
realize  how  much  harm  the  Bobolink  does,  and 
without  a  personal  knowledge  of  the  losses  of  our 
southern  planters  we  must  deplore  the  exter- 
mination of  our  northern  favorite,  for  it  is  the 
bird  which,  since  our  childhood,  has  been  the  joy 
of  our  meadows. 


FIG.  45. 

Meadowlark :  Sturnella  magna. 

Adults  in  summer,  upper  parts  streaked  brownish  ;  under  parts 

bright  yellow,  breast  with  black  crescent.   In  winter,  plumage 

duller.     Length,  lOf  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 

from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  New  Brunswick  and  Minnesota ; 

winters  from  Massachusetts  and  Illinois  southward. 

The   Bobolink  and  Meadowlark   are   the   two 


MEADOWLARK  107 

songsters  of  our  eastern  meadows,  but  how  they 
differ  !  One  can  scarcely  listen  to  them  in  the 
same  mood.  Robert  o'  Lincoln's  song  is  of  June 
gladness,  of  strong  sunshine  making  the  daisies 
whiter  and  deepening  the  buttercup's  gold ;  while 
the  Meadowlark's,  as  he  springs  from  the  dew- 
laden  grass  and  sails  up  into  the  blue  sky,  is  so 
fresh  and  pure  it  seems  to  come  on  the  wings  of 
the  morning,  and  gives  the  deeper  beauty  of  that 
day  in  June  when  Heaven  would  try  the  earth 
if  it  be  in  tune.  The  Bobolink's  mood  is  one  of 
care-free  happiness;  the  Meadowlark's  suggests 
the  fervent  joy  that  is  akin  to  pain. 

In  passing  a  Bobolink  meadow  one  can  hardly 
miss  seeing  the  merry  minstrels,  but  one  may 
often  look  a  field  over  in  vain  for  the  Lark,  whose 
sad,  clear  voice  is  ascending  to  heaven.  The 
musician  is  so  nearly  the  color  of  the  meadow 
that  it  takes  a  keen  eye  indeed  to  discover  him. 
Like  the  Bobolink,  he  shows  his  beauty  only  to 
his  mate.  His  back  is  dull,  streaked  brown  and 
white,  but  his  breast  is  a  golden  yellow  hung  with 
a  necklace  of  richest  jet.  Ordinarily  the  bird 
knows  very  well  how  to  make  use  of  his  dull  coat, 
but  sometimes  life  presents  problems  for  bird  as 
well  as  beast.  A  most  perplexing  moment  once 
came  to  a  Lark.  He  found  himself  on  a  fence  be- 
tween a  Hawk  and  a  collector  !  To  which  should 
he  expose  his  brilliant  breast  ?  His  brothers  in 
the  locality,  at  sight  of  this  same  collector,  had 


108  MEADOWLARK 

promptly  turned  their  backs  to  him,  looking  back 
at  him  only  over  their  shoulders,  but  this  bird 
kept  his  back  to  the  Hawk  and  stood  facing  the 
man.  As  the  collector  was  a  naturalist,  the 
bird's  trust  was  not  misplaced,  and  he  lived  to 
again  sing  his  joy  to  his  mate. 

Incredible  as  it  seems  to  the  nature-lover,  the 
Meadowlark  is  often  shot  for  food,  although  on 
purely  economic  grounds,  as  Professor  Beal  per- 
tinently remarks,  it  is  "  entitled  to  all  possible 
protection,  and  to  slaughter  it  for  game  is  the 
least  profitable  way  to  utilize  a  valuable  species." 
It  has  been  said  that  the  Meadowlark  eats  clo- 
ver-seed, but  in  looking  for  it  in  stomach  contents 
it  was  found  in  only  6  out  of  238  stomachs,  and 
99  per  cent,  of  the  food  at  clover  time  was  found 
to  be,  insects,  mainly  grasshoppers,  insects  whose 

ravages  have  been  no- 
torious from  the  ear- 
liest times.  Professor 
Beal  says:  "The  num- 
ber eaten  is  so  enor- 
mous as  to  entitle  the 
FlCr  4ft  Meadowlark  to  rank 

Grasshopper.  among  the   m°st    effi- 

cient   of    our    native 

birds  as  a  grasshopper  destroyer."  It  is  estimated 
that  the  value  of  the  grass  crop  saved  by  the 
Meadowlarks  on  a  township  of  thirty-six  square 
miles,  each  month  during  the  grasshopper  season, 


BLACKBIRDS  AND   OEIOLES 


109 


is  about  twenty-four  dollars.  "  Nor  are  the  other 
components  of  the  insect  food  less  important  ex- 
cept in  quantity.  Some  of  the  most  injurious 
beetles  form  a  considerable  percentage  of  the 
stomach  contents."  Among  the  other  insects 
eaten  by  the  Meadowlark  are  May  beetles,  ants, 
bugs,  caterpillars,  curculios,  and  leaf-beetles.  In 
conclusion,  Professor  Beal  says :  "  Far  from  being 
injurious,  it  is  one  of  the  most  useful  allies  to 
agriculture,  standing  almost  without  a  peer  as  a 
destroyer  of  noxious  insects." 

With  the  Meadowlark  we  come  to  the  last  of 
the  Blackbird  and  Oriole  family  that  we  shall 
take  up.  As  a  group  they  are  strongly  marked 
birds,  of  striking  colors,  of  good  size  — 
when  compared  with  the  smaller  Chick- 
adees, Wrens,  and  Humming- 
birds —  having  strong  bills  and 
feet  as  compared  with  the  Swal- 
lows and  Swifts.  (See  Figs.  47, 
48.)  Among  themselves  they  dif- 
fer widely.  The  brilliant  Orioles 
are  birds  of  the  tree- 
tops  ;  the  Black- 
birds, Bobolink,  and 
Meadowlark,  largely 
birds  of  the  ground. 
Of  the  two  eastern  Orioles,  the  male  Baltimore  is 
always  more  or  less  yellow  and  black,  while  the 
adult  male  Orchard  Oriole  is  chestnut  and  black. 


I 


FIG.  47. 
Weak   foot 
of  Swallow. 


FIG.  48. 
Strong  foot  of  Blackbird. 


110 


BLACKBIRDS  AND   ORIOLES 


FIG.  49. 
Bill  of  Oriole. 


The  Orchard  Oriole  is  also  smaller  and  builds  a 
shallower  nest  of  grass.  The  Blackbirds  are  alike 
in  general  characteristics.  They  all  walk  —  the 
Orioles  hop  —  and  they  get  most  of  their  food  on 
the  ground.  The  Crow  Blackbird,  Red-wing,  and 
Rusty  are  most  nearly  alike,  and  as  their  food 
habits  are  similar,  they  have  similar  bills.  (See 
Fig.  121,  p.  193.)  The  Cow- 
bird  and  Bobolink  are  less  ex- 
clusively insectivorous,  and  so 
their  bills  approach  more  to  the 
seed-eater  conical  type  of  bill 
(see  Figs.  42,  p.  102 ;  50,  p.  110, 
and  119,  p.  193),  contrasting 
quite  sharply  with  the  long, 
pointed  bills  of  the  Orioles 
(Fig.  49),  Meadowlark  (see 
Fig.  43,  p.  102),  and  Black- 
birds (Fig.  121,  p.  193).  The 
Blackbird  and  Oriole  types  of 
bill  contrast  well  with  the  fly- 
traps of  the  Swallows,  the 
probes  of  the  Hummingbirds, 
and  the  bills  of  the  Doves, 
Wrens,  and  Flycatchers.  (See 
Figs.  120,  118,  p.  193;  106,  107,  p.  192.)  In  the 
same  way,  the  tails  of  the  Bobolink  and  Meadow- 
lark,  which  live  among  the  grasses,  have  become 
specialized,  being  quite  sharp  and  pointed,  as  if 
worn  by  friction  (see  Fig.  51)  ;  while  those  of  the 


FIG.  50. 
Bill  of  Bobolink. 


FIG.  51. 
Tail  of  Bobolink. 


KEY  TO  BLACKBIRDS  AND  ORIOLES     111 

treetop  Orioles,  or  the  Blackbirds  that  frequent 
short-cropped  pasture  land  or  mown  fields,  have 
theirs  unmodified. 

The  Blackbirds  and  Bobolinks,  like  the  Crows, 
Swifts,  and  Swallows,  are  eminently  social  birds, 
spending  most  of  their  time  in  flocks. 


Key  to  Nesting  Plumage  of  Adult  Male  Black- 
birds and  Orioles  mentioned  in  this  Book. 

1.  Small  (length  about  7  to  7^  inches). 
2.  Plumage  mainly  black  and  white  ;  under  parts  black  ; 
back  black  and  white,  with  buffy  patch  on  nape.  Found 
in  meadows p.  103.     BOBOLINK. 

2'.  Plumage  mainly  black  and  orange,  or  black  and  chest- 
nut.    Head  and  throat  black. 
3.  Rest  of  under  parts  yellow  or  orange. 

p.  56.     BALTIMORE  ORIOLE. 

3'.  Rest  of  under  parts  chestnut. 

p.  61.    ORCHARD  ORIOLE. 

V.  Large  (length  8  to  13  inches). 

4.  Plumage  mainly  brown  and  yellow  •  back  brownish  ; 
under  parts  yellow,  with  black  crescent  on  breast  ; 
outer  tail  feathers  white.  Lives  in  meadows. 

p.  106.    MEADOWLARK. 
4'.  Plumage  mainly  black. 

5.  Shoulders  with  red  epaulettes  ;  rest  of  plumage  black. 
Found  in  swamps  and  marshes. 

p.  96.     RED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD. 

5'.  Shoulders  without  red  epaulettes. 
6.  Head  and  neck  brown  ;  rest  of  body  glossy  black. 
Found  in  pastures  with  cattle      .     p.  98.     COWBIRD. 


112     KEY  TO  BLACKBIRDS  AND  OEIOLES 

6'.  Head  and  neck  not  brown. 

7.  Tail  normal ;  body  uniformly  glossy  bluish  black  ; 
migrant.  Plumage  rusty  in  fall  migration. 

p.  101.     RUSTY  BLACKBIRD. 

7'.  Tail  long  and  fan-shaped  ;  body  not  uniformly 
bluish  black;  head,  neck,  and  breast  metallic  pur- 
ple or  bluish  ;  rest  of  body  metallic  with  iridescent 
bars p.  93.  CROW  BLACKBIRD. 


FIG.  52.    Meadowlark. 


FIG.  53.    Bobolink.  FIG.  54.    Red-wing. 

REPRESENTATIVES    OF   BLACKBIRD   AND   ORIOLE 
FAMILY. 


CHIPPING  SPARROW  113 

Chipping  Sparrow  :  Spizella  socialis. 

Top   of  head   reddish   brown ;  under  parts   plain  gray ;    back 

brown  streaked  with   black ;  bill  black.     Length,   about  5£ 

inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern  North  America;  breeds 

from  the  Gulf  states  to  Newfoundland  and  Great  Slave  Lake ; 

winters  in  the  Gulf  states  and  Mexico. 

Mr.  Torrey  says  if  he  could  have  his  way  this 
little  bird  should  be  known  as  the  'door-step 
Sparrow,'  and  certainly  no 
name  could  be  more  appropri- 
ate. Many  delightful  instances 
are  on  record  concerning  par- 
ticularly tame  Chipping  Spar- 
rows, but  none  is  more  interest- 

FIG.  55. 

ing  than  that  given  by  Mr.  chipping  Sparrow. 
Robert  B.  Lawrence,  a  nephew 
of  the  distinguished  ornithologist,  George  N. 
Lawrence,  who  tells  how  a  '  Chippy '  acquaint- 
ance of  his  father's  became  a  confidential  friend. 
Mr.  Lawrence  says  in  a  note  in  '  Forest  and 
Stream : '  "  For  years  at  our  place  in  Flushing, 
L.  I.,  my  father  has  fed  some  half  dozen  of  these 
Chipping  Sparrows,  and  the  young  birds  have 
taken  bread  or  seed  from  his  hand  when  it  was 
held  near  the  ground,  but  the  old  birds  would 
never  allow  any  such  familiarity.  One  of  the 
adult  birds,  however,  seemed  more  inclined  to 
do  so  than  his  companions,  and  at  last,  in  the 
summer  of  1879,  mustered  courage  enough  to  fol- 
low the  example  of  the  young  birds,  and,  finding 


114 


CHIPPING  SPARROW 


110  ill  effects,  jumped  onto  my  father's  finger,  and, 
sitting  there,  ate  his  breakfast.  The  ice  once 
broken,  '  Dick,'  as  we  christened  him,  seemed  to 
lose  all  fear,  and  from  that  time  always  ate  his 
breakfast  from  my  father's  hand.  .  .  .  This  con- 
tinued all  the  summer,  but  when  fall  came,  with 
the  first  cold  blasts  Dick  took  his  departure  for 

the  summer  regions  of 
the  south.  The  next 
April,  however,  he  re- 
turned and  without  any 
hesitation  came  one 
morning  to  my  father's 
call  and  in  his  old  accus- 
tomed way  ate  his  break- 
fast from  my  father's 
hand.  Dick  and  his  mate 
built  their  nest  in  the 
vines  which  clambered 
over  our  piazza  and 
spent  the  summer  with 


FIG.  56. 

Crab  Grass,  eaten  by  Chip- 
ping Sparrow. 


us.  .  .  .  This  year  he  has 
gone  farther,  as  he  has 
several  times,  while  sit- 
ting on  my  father's  hand, 

ceased  eating  and  poured  forth  his  song  of 
thanks.  ...  It  has  long  been  known  that  birds 
would  return  to  the  same  locality  year  after  year, 
but  that  a  wild  bird  should  remember  a  person's 
voice  and  come  back  after  his  long  wandering  as 


CHIPPING  SPARROW  115 


FIG.  57. 
Currant  Worm. 

tame  and,  confiding  as  when  he  went  away  is,  I 
think,  very  remarkable." 

Since  the  Chippy  is  the  first  of  the  Sparrows 
to  be  studied,  it  will  be  well  to  look  -at  him  closely 
in  order  to  see  what  are  his  family  traits.  He  has 
the  cone-shaped,  seed-cracking  Finch  bill,  —  the 
type  we  saw  approached  by  those  of  the  Cowbird 
and  Bobolink,  but  like  most  Sparrows  is  not  ex- 
clusively granivorous.  As  a  seed-eater  he  destroys 
the  foxtail  and  crab  grass  that  disfigure  our 
lawns,  and  he  helps,  too,  to  free  our  premises  from 
pigweed,  chickweed,  and  knot  weed  ;  while  as  an 
insect-eater  he  does  us  a  good  turn  by  eating  cab- 
bage-worms, tent-caterpillars,  cankerworms,  and 


116  SONG  SPAEEOW 

gypsy-moth  caterpillars,  and  particularly  affects 
cutworms  and  army  worms,  two  of  our  worst  in- 
sect pests.  Combining  insect  with  vegetable  food 
in  this  way,  the  Chippy  does  not  find  it  necessary 
to  go  as  far  south  for  his  winter  supplies  as  exclu- 
sively insectivorous  birds,  and  so  we  find  him,  in 
company  with  other  short-winged  seed-eaters,  win- 
tering in  the  Gulf  states  and  Mexico,  while  the 
Swift  and  many  of  the  Flycatchers  go  on  to  Cen- 
tral America.  As  a  family,  the  Sparrows  are  very 
musical ;  and  though  the  Chippy  is  not  a  gifted 
member  of  the  choir,  when  he  sits  on  a  tree  in  the 
sun,  with  his  soft  feathers  fluffed  up  about  him, 
even  his  monotonous  little  trill  has  a  cheery  sum- 
mer sound. 


Song  Sparrow  :  Melospiza  fasciata. 

Upper  parts  brown,  streaked  with  black ;  under  parts  white, 
streaked  with  black,  and  with  a  dark  central  blotch  on  breast. 
Length,  about  6£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  northern  Illinois  and  Virginia  north  to  Quebec  and 
Manitoba  ;  winters  from  southern  Illinois  and  Massachusetts 
to  the  Gulf  states.  No  considerable  area  of  the  United  States 
is  without  one  of  the  geographic  races  of  the  Song-  Sparrow. 

The  Song  Sparrow  is  another  of  our  common- 
est birds.  It  is  larger  than  Chippy,  and  its  clan 
instead  of  wearing  red  caps  usually  wear  black  but- 
tons on  their  white-striped  vests  (Figs.  55,  58). 

Being  vegetarians  in  winter,  they  are  able  to 
abide  in  the  north ;  and  even  in  Illinois  and  Mas- 


SONG  SPAEEOW 


117 


FIG.  58. 
Song  Sparrow. 


sachusetts,  where  the 
winds  blow  lustily  over 
the  snow,  the  cheering 
winter  birds  occasion- 
ally favor  us  with  a 
summer  song.  Indeed, 
in  many  places  the  wel- 
come voice  of  the  Spar- 
row has  been  heard  in 
every  monj;h  of  the 
year  except  December. 
Like  the  Chippy  and 

other  philosophers,  the  Song  makes  the  most  of 
the  table  that  is  spread  for  it,  changing  with  good 
grace  from  the  seeds  that  winter  offers  to  the  in- 
sects that  summer  brings.  Mr.  Nehrling  considers 
it  one  of  our  most  useful  birds 
from  the  eagerness  with  which 
it  sets  upon  injurious  caterpil- 
lars, grasshoppers,  and  leaf-eat- 
ing beetles,  to  say  nothing  about 
cabbage  worms  and  moths ;  while 
the  persistency  of  its  search  for 
rose  bugs,  cutworms,  and  all 
kinds  of  beetles  rivals  that  of 
the  most  ardent  entomologist. 
While  we  have  need  of  every 
pair  of  these  useful  birds,  Mr. 
Nehrling  believes  that  many  of 
their  garden  nests  are  destroyed 


FIG.  59. 

Pigweed,  eaten  by 
Song  Sparrow. 


118  SONG  SPAEROW 

by  strolling  cats,  and  many  of  the  birds  both 
young  and  old  killed  by  the  prowlers.  "  Cats 
should  never  be  tolerated  in  garden  or  field,"  he 
exclaims  emphatically.  "  They  do  more  harm  to 
our  familiar  garden  birds  than  all  other  enemies 
combined."  This  testimony  is  borne  out  by  Mr. 
Brewster,  who  says  that  stray  grimalkins  have 
even  penetrated  the  forests  of  Maine,  their  tracks 
actually  being  commoner  there  than  those  of  any 
wild  animal.  As  a  matter  of  humanity  to  the 
cats  as  well  as  to  the  birds,  Mr.  Brewster  urges 
that  all  city  and  village  cats  should  be  licensed 
just  as  much  as  the  dogs,  and  no  unfed  vagrants 
allowed  at  large,  where  to  keep  from  starving 
they  will  prey  upon  our  song-birds. 

When  not  prematurely  killed  by  feline  marau- 
ders, in  some  localities  the  Song  Sparrow  is  said 
to  rear  three  broods  in  a  season.  It  builds  on  or 
near  the  ground,  and  its  eggs  are  bluish  white 
heavily  marked  with  brown. 

The  Song  Sparrows  are  among  the  gentlest 
and  most  winning  birds  we  are  blessed  with,  and 
when  they  nest  near  the  house  may  easily  be  in- 
duced to  come  to  the  doorstep  for  crumbs.  Their 
song  bears  the  test  of  every  day ;  for  while  it 
is  not  brilliant,  it  has  all  the  sweetness  of  the 
gentle  bird's  own  simple  nature,  and  heard  far 
from  home  stirs  chords  that  the  more  brilliant 
strangers  do  not  touch.  Even  its  chirp  has  a 
contented  quality  that  it  does  one  good  to  hear. 


VESPER  SPAEEOW  119 

Furthermore,  the  student  who  is  interested  in  not- 
ing bird  songs  will  find  the  Song  Sparrow's  well 
worth  study,  for  it  varies  remarkably.  Fifteen 
varieties  of  its  song  have  been  noted  in  one  week, 
and  the  same  individual  often  has  a  number  of 
tunes  in  his  repertoire. 

Vesper  Sparrow  ;  Grass  Finch  :  Pooccetes  gramineus. 

Brownish  gray,  streaked ;  patch  on  wings,  reddish  brown  ;  outer 
tail  feathers  showing  white  inflighf.  Length,  about  6  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  ;  breeds  from 
Missouri,  southern  Illinois,  and  Virginia  northward  to  Mani- 
toba and  Nova  Scotia  ;  winters  on  the  Atlantic  coast  from 
Virginia  southward. 

When  scared  up  from  roadside  fences,  tliis  Spar- 
row may  be  known  by  its  color,  which  is  lighter 
than  the  Song  Spar- 
row's, in  connection  with 
the  white  feathers  that 
flash  from  the  sides  of 
its  tail  as  it  goes.  As  its  FlG 

name  indicates,  its  most         Tail  of  Vesper  Sparrow, 
interesting  character  is 

its  evening  song.  One  of  its  twilight  recitals  is 
especially  marked  in  my  memory.  The  choral 
society  was  an  Easthampton  one,  and  some  en- 
thusiastic bird-lovers  in  the  beautiful  old  Mas- 
sachusetts town  invited  me  to  attend  its  vespers. 
A  brilliant  Bluebird  led  us  from  the  long,  shaded 
village  street  into  'Green  Lane,'  an  old  grassy 
way  bordered  by  rail  fences  leading  west  to  the 


120  RED-EYED   VIEEO 

golden  sunset,  and  the  bird's  sweet,  quavering 
call  had  hardly  died  away  when  we  were  greeted 
by  the  voice  of  one  of  the  Sparrows  we  had  come 
to  hear.  He  was  perched  on  a  stake  in  the 
meadow  beside  the  lane,  and  as  we  stopped  to 
listen  poured  out  his  beautiful  vesper  hymn.  It 
had  scarcely  ceased  when  it  was  taken  up  by  an- 
other of  the  rich- voiced  choristers,  and  soon  was 
being  sung  by  glad,  sweet  voices  scattered  far 
through  the  meadows.  In  the  stillness  of  the 
hour,  with  the  level  fields  reaching  to  the  golden 
horizon,  the  peaceful  evening  song  seemed  full  of 
new  beauty,  and  we  listened  in  silence  to  its  calm, 
melodious  notes  till  the  sunset  afterglow  faded 
from  the  sky  and  the  twilight  shadows  gathered 
around  us. 

Red-eyed  Vireo  :   Vireo  olivaceus. 
(Fig.  63,  p.  126.) 

Crown  gray,  bordered  by  black  ;  a  conspicuous  white  line  over  the 
eye;  upper  parts  olive-green;  under  parts  white.  Length, 
about  65  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America;  west- 
ward to  British  Columbia ;  breeds  from  the  Gulf  states  to 
Labrador  and  Manitoba  ;  winters  in  Central  and  South 
America. 

If  you  listen  carefully  to  the  bird  songs  in  vil- 
lages, about  country  houses,  or  even  in  open  wood- 
lands, it  will  not  be  long  before  you  distinguish 
the  voice  of  the  Red-eye.  His  song  is  a  monoto- 
nous but  cheerful  monologue  made  up  of  short 


RED-EYED   VIREO 


121 


broken  sentences, 
in  triplets,  given  as 
he  hunts  over  the 
branches  for  food. 
4  Where  's  a  worm? 
Where  's  a  cater- 
pillar ?  Where  's  a 
FIG.  61.  worm  ? '  he  queries 

Red-eyed  Vireo.  as  ne  goes,  answer- 

ing his  own  ques- 
tion very  comfortably  to  himself.  There  is  no- 
thing ecstatic  about  his  song.  It  seems  merely 
the  accompaniment  of  his  occupation.  He  sings 
as  a  contented  man  whistles  at  his  work.  His  call 
note  is  quite  a  different  matter.  From  it  one 
would  imagine  him  the  most  discontented  of  mor- 
tal birds,  for  it  is  a  complaining,  mewing  whee- 
ough.  It  is  only  fair  to  say,  though,  that  often 
when  he  gives  it  he  has  cause  for  complaint,  for 
at  such  times  you  frequently  find  some  feathered 
bugaboo  abroad  in  the  land. 

If  it  were  not  for  the  Vireo' s  song  you  would 


122  RED-EYED   VIEEO 

easily  pass  him  unnoticed,  for  as  the  Sparrows 
are  brown  to  match  the  weeds  and  fields,  the  lit- 
tle greenlet  is  dressed  to  tone  in  with  the  green 
leaves  and  the  light  in  the  woods,  being  greenish 
above  and  white  below.  But  if  you  once  set  eyes 
on  him  you  can  easily  identify  him,  for  over  his 
eye  he  has  a  white  border  to  his  gray  cap.  A 
bird's  cap  is  not  usually  easy  to  see,  if  he  lives  in 
the  trees ;  but  the  Red-eye  has  a  trick  of  turning 
his  head  over  as  he  looks  critically  at  the  leaves, 
which  is  of  great  service  to  the  inquisitive  ground- 
ling below. 

Like  the  Orioles,  Vireos  are  public  benefactors, 
practical  foresters,  working  out  their  self-ap- 
pointed commission  to  preserve  our  village  and 
forest  trees.  They  are,  first  and  foremost,  cater- 
pillar-eaters, but  they  also  do  great  good  by  their 
fondness  for  bugs  and  weevils,  May  beetles,  inch- 
worms,  and  leaf-eating  beetles.  Like  other  epi- 
cures, they  understand  that  fruit  sauce  gives  zest 
to  a  meat  diet.  Doctor  Fisher  says  they  are 
extravagantly  fond  of  the  aromatic  fruits  of  the 
benzoin  bush,  sassafras,  and  magnolia.  Indeed, 
when  the  Red-eyes  are  gathered  along  the  Gulf 
coast  in  the  fall,  he  says  they  feed  almost  exclu- 
sively on  the  berries  of  the  magnolia,  and  become 
exceedingly  fat.  It  is  thought  that  the  magnolia 
imparts  a  delicate  flavor  to  the  flesh,  but  however 
this  may  be,  the  sad  fact  remains  that  immense 
numbers  of  the  little  songsters  are  slaughtered 


RED-EYED    VIEEO  123 

and  exposed  for  sale  in  the  French  markets  of 
New  Orleans  under  the  name  of  ' petit  grasset."9 

The  question  may  arise  as  to  what  the  Vireos 
and  other  little  berry-eaters  are  doing  with  the 
botany  of  the  land,  whether  they  are  laying  low 
the  wild  fruits  as  they  are  the  weeds.  It  is  an 
interesting  subject.  The  difference  lies  just  here. 
The  fruit-eaters  want  the  soft  pulp  —  the  fruit, 
—  and  either  eject  the  hard  pits  or  swallow  them 
whole,  so  merely  acting  as  distributing  agents 
for  the  fruit  stones  ;  but  the  weed  destroyers  eat 
the  seeds  themselves,  crushing  the  cases,  and  so 
killing  the  germs  of  future  weeds.  Whatever 
proportion  of  the  Vireo's  food  may  be  vegetable, 
it  necessitates  no  modification  of  bill  from  the 
slender  insectivorous  type  (see  Fig.  109,  p.  192), 
as  it  is  only  for  cracking  hard  substances  that  the 
Sparrows  need  the  conical  seed-eater  type  of  bill. 
(See  Fig.  119,  p.  193.)  Neither  does  the  berry- 
eating  habit  of  the  Vireo  lessen  the  length  of  the 
journey  which  it  makes  in  winter,  together  with 
other  insect-eaters  ;  for  berries,  it  would  seem,  are 
not  as  reliable  a  harvest  as  weed  seeds,  and  Cen- 
tral America,  with  its  winter  insects,  seems  to 
offer  the  fullest  larder.  Being  subject  to  enemies, 
the  birds  migrate  under  cover  of  the  night,  and 
some  morning  give  us  a  delightful  surprise  by 
filling  with  song  a  grove  that  was  silent  and 
untenanted  the  night  before. 

In  the  woods,  the  Vireos'  nests  are  among  the 


124  RED-EYED   VIREO 

commonest  and  most  beautiful.  They  are  ex- 
quisite little  birch-bark  hanging  baskets,  often 
with  pieces  of  wasp  nest  and  bits  of  paper  tucked 
in. 

Aside  from  their  beauty,  the  Vireos'  nests  are 
particularly  interesting  to  watch,  as  the  confidence 
of  the  birds  is  easily  won,  and  if  it  is  not  abused 
they  will  admit  you  to  most  intimate  relations. 

A  delightful  episode  occurred  one  spring  in 
Easthampton,  Massachusetts.  In  an  apple-tree 
close  beside  a  house,  a  pretty  Red-eye  quietly 
hung  her  basket  nest  and  had  laid  two  eggs  be- 
fore she  was  observed  by  any  of  her  human  neigh- 
bors. Then  the  motherly  owner  of  the  house 
discovered  her  and  was  so  pleased  to  find  her 
there  that,  as  she  went  and  came  at  her  work  in- 
side, she  would  talk  to  the  little  creature  brooding 
her  nest  on  the  apple  bough  by  the  window.  In 
this  way  the  two  became  such  good  comrades  that 
the  woman  soon  thought  she  would  like  to  feed 
her  pet.  First  she  offered  her  a  large  cracker, 
but  this  was  so  alarmingly  big  that  the  Vireo  flew 
away  at  sight  of  it ;  when  a  small  piece  was  handed 
up  to  her  at  the  end  of  a  stick,  however,  she  took 
it  gladly,  and  from  that  time  on  her  friend  fed 
her  every  day. 

As  the  food  would  slip  off  the  stick,  the  woman 
nailed  a  mucilage-bottle  cover  to  the  end  of  it  for 
a  cup,  and  in  this  way  was  able  to  serve  boiled 
egg  and  other  dainties  in  the  apple-tree.  A  glass 


EED-EYED    VIREO  125 

cup  was  hung  up  beside  the  nest,  but  the  bird  was 
never  seen  to  drink  from  it,  although  when  water 
was  put  in  her  own  tin  she  would  sit  on  the  nest 
and  '  drink  like  a  chicken,'  which  is  interesting, 
as  it  is  said  that  Vireos  usually  quench  their  thirst 
daintly  with  dew  or  rain-drops  on  the  leaves. 

The  people  of  the  village  flocked  to  see  their 
trustful  little  neighbor,  and  when  the  good  woman 
of  the  house  wanted  to  show  her  friends  the  Vi- 
reo's  eggs  she  had  only  to  hold  the  food-cup  far 
enough  from  the  nest  to  tempt  her  away  from  the 
eggs,  or  else  give  her  an  unusually  large  piece  of 
cracker,  when  she  would  quietly  fly  off  with  it. 
If,  when  she  was  being  fed,  the  wind  blew  her 
branch  away  from  the  cup,  the  friendly  Vireo 
would  crane  her  neck  to  reach  after  the  food. 

The  little  creature  was  so  kindly  treated  she 
lost  all  fear  of  her  neighbors,  and  actually  let  one 
of  them  stroke  her  feathers  while  she  sat  on  the 
nest.  But  just  as  her  friend  was  thinking  of  the 
pleasure  she  would  have  watching  the  brood  wnen 
they  hatched,  suddenly  all  the  eggs  disappeared, 
leaving  the  Vireo  cradle  hanging  empty  on  its 
branch.  It  was  a  sorry  ending  of  the  pleasure  of 
the  spring,  and  the  villagers  came  to  condole  with 
the  good  woman  who  was  so  suddenly  bereft.  "  I 
felt  as  if  there  had  been  a  funeral,"  she  said  sadly, 
in  telling  me  of  it. 


126 


WARBLING   VIREO 


Warbling  Vireo  :   Vireo  gilvus. 

Upper  parts  grayish  green ;  under  parts  slightly  washed  with 
yellowish ;  no  wing  bars.  Length,  about  5|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America;  breeds  as  far 
north  as  the  Hudson  Bay  region ;  winters  in  the  tropics. 

The  Warbling  Yireo  is  peculiarly  a  village  bird, 
and  when  the  Red-eye  lives  in  town  the  two  will 
be  heard  at  the  same  time. 
The  song  of  the  Warbling 
can  easily  be  distinguished, 
for  the  broken  utterances  of 
the  Red-eye  are  totally  differ- 
ent from  the  smoothly  flow- 
ing warble  of  the  smaller 
bird.  When  seen,  the  ab- 
sence of  the  gray  cap  will 
mark  off  the  Warbling  from 
his  larger  cousin,  though  one 
does  not  often  get  sight  of 
the  little  olive  bird,  he  is  so 
busy  in  the  elm-tops  where 
his  mate  builds  her  nest 
and  lays  her  eggs  —  smaller 
counterparts  of  those  of  the  Red-eye.  Doctor 
Brewer  says  the  Warbling  is  particularly  abun- 
dant among  the  elms  of  Boston  Common,  and 
Mr.  Torrey  also  reports  it  there. 


FIG.  62. 
Warbling  Vireo. 


FIG.  63. 
Red-eyed  Vireo. 


FLICKER 


127 


FIG.  64. 

Flicker ;   High-hole  ;    Yellow-hammer :   Colaptes 
auratus. 

Adult  male,  back  brownish,  barred  with  black ;  throat  pinkish 
fawn  and  rest  of  under  parts  lighter,  spotted  with  black ;  red 
band  on  back  of  neck ;  rump  white ;  black  stripe  on  sides  of 
throat  and  black  crescent  on  breast ;  tinder  side  of  wings  and 
tail  yellow.  Adult  female,  similar,  but  without  black  streaks 
on  sides  of  throat.  Length,  12  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  west  to  Alaska 
and  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains ;  breeds  through- 
out its  range,  and  winters  from  Illinois  and  Massachusetts 
southward. 

Though  the  Flicker  is  to  be  found  with  us  dur- 
ing the  winter,  his  loud  ringing  {f-if-if-if-if-if-if 
is  especially  associated  with  the  spring  smell  of 
the  damp  woods-earth,  and  the  first  glad  awaken- 
ing. Sometimes  it  is  only  a  single  note,  a  loud, 


128  FLICKER 

far-reaching  clape,  that  makes  our  pulses  leap 
with  the  assurance  that  the  cold  silence  of  winter 
is  broken  and  spring  has  come.  At  the  sound  of 
the  familiar  voice  we  hurry  toward  it,  but  may 
have  a  long  distance  to  hunt,  for  it  carries  far 
through  the  woods.  The  first  glimpse  of  the 
splendid  great  bird  repays  us  for  our  tramp. 
High  up  on  a  tree  trunk  he  may  be  clinging, 
Woodpecker  fashion,  with  his  back  to  us,  the  scar- 
let patch  on  the  back  of  his  neck  showing  to  good 
advantage.  How  strong  and  powerful  he  seems ! 
To  the  beginner  who  has  puzzled  his  brains  and 
strained  his  ears  and  eyes  over  the  faint  notes  and 
the  confusing  forms  of  small  migrants  vanishing 
through  the  treetops,  the  sight  of  such  a  big, 
strikingly  marked  bird  at  rest  is  a  double  satis- 
faction. There  is  no  mistaking  his  call,  there  is 
no  mistaking  his  person'.  Even  when  he  flies  — 
with  undulating  motion  —  the  big,  round  white 
spot  at  the  base  of  his  tail  marks  him  as  far  as 
he  can  be  seen. 

Once  placed  in  the  woods,  the  Flicker  should 
be  kept  track  of.  Soon  his  companions  will  come, 
and  with  the  soft  spring  days  his  '  thoughts  will 
turn  to  love,'  and  then  he  will  merit  the  closest 
attention,  for  he  is  a  gallant  wooer,  full  of  origi- 
nal ways.  "  It  is  an  exceedingly  interesting  and 
amusing  sight,"  Major  Bendire  tells  us,  "  to  see  a 
couple  of  males  paying  their  addresses  to  a  coy 
and  coquettish  female  ;  the  apparent  shyness  of 


FLICKER  129 

the  suitors  as  they  sidle  up  to  her  and  as  quickly 
retreat  again,  the  sly  glances  given  as  one  peeps 
from  behind  a  limb  watching  the  other  —  playing 
bo-peep  —  seems  very  human.  .  .  .  The  defeated 
suitor  takes  his  rejection  quite  philosophically, 
and  retreats  in  a  dignified  manner."  To  this 
Mr.  Burroughs  adds  of  the  Flicker  wooer :  "  He 
spreads  his  tail,  he  puffs  out  his  breast,  he  throws 
back  his  head,  and  then  bends  his  body  to  the  right 
and  to  the  left,  uttering  all  the  while  a  curious 
musical  hiccough."  Surely  his  lady  should  be 
flattered  by  such  adulation. 

When  it  comes  to  housekeeping,  the  Flicker 
retires  to  an  old  stub  or  tree  trunk,  but  his  pro- 
ceedings may  be  watched  if  he  is  convinced  of 
your  good  intentions.  The  sight  of  the  large 
entrance  hole  always  stirs  delightful  anticipations, 
for  Monsieur  '  Pique-bois-Jaune,'  as  he  is  called 
in  Louisiana,  is  a  character  worth  studying.  Mr. 
Brewster  has  given  us  a  most  interesting  descrip- 
tion of  a  nest  he  watched,1  and  Mr.  Manley  Hardy, 
who  has  also  studied  the  birds  familiarly,  tells  us 
that  he  has  been  permitted  to  feed  the  young  with 
strawberries  while  they  were  still  in  the  nest! 
He  was  obliged  to  put  the  berries  in  their  bills  at 
first,  but  afterwards  the  nestlings  would  come  up 
to  the  hole  and  look  out  when  they  heard  him 
coming,  acting,  he  flattered  himself,  'just  as  if 
the  old  birds  were  feeding  them.' 

1  The  Auk,  vol.  x.  pp.  231-236. 


130  FLICKER 

The  parents  feed  the  young  by  regurgitation, 
which  is  very  fortunate,  as  bringing  food  by  the 
billful  to  such  large  broods  would  be  a  good  deal 
like  feeding  a  giant  with  a  teaspoon.  Audubon 
once  found  a  nest  containing  eighteen  young 
birds  and  three  eggs. 

Though  the  Flicker  young  have  the  good  taste  to 
like  strawberries,  the  family  food  is  ants.    In  times 
of  grasshopper  plagues,  the  Wood- 
peckers     very      philanthropically 
turn  to  and  help  kill  off  the  pests ; 
but   at  ordinary  times  they  work 
more  for  the  housewife  and  florist, 
FIG.  65.          destroying  the  ants  that  invade  the 
Antjreate^  by  '  pantry  and  foster  insect  lice.     Al- 
most half  of  the  total  food  of  the 
Flicker  is  ants,  3,000  of  which  were  found  in  each 
of  two  stomachs  —  stomachs  whose  owners  appar- 
ently were  not  greatly  in  need  of  a  tonic !     This 
explains  what  the  birds  are  do- 
ing when  they  are  seen  on  the 
ground,  and  scared  up  from 
FIG.  66.  ant-hills  in  old  pastures.    The 

Flicker,  showing  long     ground  habit  of  the  Flicker 
tongue  extended.  jg  SQ  dominant  that  his  dregs 

conforms  to  the  color  of  the  earth ;  his  tongue,  too, 
is  unusually  long  and  has  a  rough  surface  to  which 
his  sticky  saliva  glues  the  ants  which  he  picks  up 
or  probes  out  of  the  ant-hills. 

Like  many  innocent  birds,  the  Flicker  has  been 


BED-HEADED   WOODPECKER 


131 


accused  of  eating  corn,  but  in  reality  only  5  out 
of  230  Flicker  stomachs  contained  any,  and  the 
bird  is  one  of  the  most  useful  we  have. 


FIG.  67. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker :  Melanerpes  erythro- 
cephalus. 

Head,  neck,  and  breast  uniform  deep  red ;  rest  of  under  parts 
white  ;  upper  part  of  back  black,  wings  showing-  white  in 
flight.  Young,  red  replaced  by  dark  gray.  Length,  9|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Florida  to  northern  New  York  and  Manitoba ;  winters 
from  Virginia  and,  in  good  beechnut  years,  from  northern 
New  York  southward. 

As  we  drive  through  the  country  we  are  some- 


132  RED-HEADED   WOODPECKER 

times  surprised  by  the  sight  of  a  strikingly  bril- 
liant bird  with  a  red  head  and  patches  of  white 
on  its  wings  flying  ahead  of  us.  It  is  such  a 
dazzling  beauty  that,  while  we  fear  for  its  life  if 
it  linger  along  the  public  highway,  we  must  wish 
for  a  closer  acquaintance.  Fence  posts  are  among 
its  favorite  hunting  places,  and  while  it  clings  to 
them  it  is  much  less  conspicuous  than  one  would 
imagine  so  brilliant  a  creature  could  be ;  but  it 
can  sit  very  still  on  occasion,  and  its  black  back 
might  easily  pass  for  a  fence-post  shadow,  while 
its  red  head  seen  against  the  green  loses  its  color. 

It  is  interesting  to  watch  the  Ked-head  hunt 
from  a  fence,  for  he  combines  the  ways  of  the 
Flycatchers  and  more  conservative  tree-trunk 
Woodpeckers.  First,  perhaps,  he  makes  short 
elliptical  sallies  into  the  air  for  insects,  returning 
to  his  post  with  his  prey ;  then  he  flies  down  to 
the  ground  for  a  grasshopper,  and  again  shoots 
up  straight  in  the  air  for  perhaps  a  rod,  coming 
down  almost  as  straight ;  and  finally,  as  if  tired 
of  such  flycatcher-like  antics,  falls  to  hammer- 
ing on  his  rail. 

The  Red-head  is  particularly  fond  of  the  inju- 
rious big  white  grub  in  its  adult  stage  of  June 
bug,  the  prionus  form,  and  eats  more  grasshop- 
pers than  any  other  Woodpecker.  It  also  eats 
wasps  and  weevils.  To  be  sure,  it  does  harm  by 
eating  some  useful  insects  and  a  little  grain  and 
fruit,  but  the  fruit  does  not  amount  to  much.  As 


BED-HEADED    WOODPECKER 


133 


FIG.  68. 

Prionus  Beetle,  eaten  by 
Red-headed  Woodpecker. 


it  eats  a  large  quantity  of  wild  fruit,  it  could 
probably  be  diverted  from  the  cultivated  varieties 
by  planting  wild  ones  where 
they  do  not  exist.  The  best 
of  these  would  probably  be 
dogwood,  mulberry,  elder- 
berry, choke  -  cherry,  and 
wild  black  cherry.  In  the 
north,  the  principal  food  of 
the  Red-head  is  beechnuts, 
and  when  they  are  plentiful 
it  stays  north  during  the 
winter.  A  great  many  in- 
teresting observations  have 
been  made  on  the  bird's 

storing  habit,  and  though  it  is  not  so  remarkable 
as  the  corresponding  habit  of  the  western  Wood- 
pecker, it  is  still  surprising.  Whole  handfuls  of 
beechnuts  have  been  taken  from  a  single  knot- 
hole, and  have  been  found  in  cracks  in  gate  posts, 
behind  slivers  on  fence  posts,  and  in  cracks  at  the 
ends  of  railroad  ties.1 

Estimating  the  value  of  the  Woodpecker  fam- 
ily, Professor  Beal  says  they  are  "  the  only  agents 
which  can  successfully  cope  with  the  insects  of 
forest  and  partly  of  fruit  trees,  and  for  this  rea- 
son if  for  no  other  they  should  be  protected  in 
every  possible  way." 

1  The  Auk,  vol.  iv.  p.  193  ;  Bulletin  of  the  Nuttall  Ornitho- 
logical Club,  vol.  iii.  p.  124. 


134  BED-HEADED    WOODPECKER 

It  is  a  rare  pleasure  to  have  a  pair  of  Red- 
heads nest  on  one's  premises.  At  Rockford, 
Illinois,  on  the  grounds  of  Rockford  College,  the 
handsome  birds  are  so  tame  that  the  college  girls 
can  watch  them  without  danger  of  worrying 
them ;  but  in  most  places  they  have  been  so  much 
annoyed  that  they  are  chary  of  their  friendship, 
and  when  you  go  to  their  neighborhood  hide 
behind  a  tree  trunk  and  look  out  at  you  suspi- 
ciously from  the  corner  of  one  eye,  scolding  with 
a  loud  rattling  krit-tar-raJi  which,  if  you  approach 
too  near,  Mr.  Widmann  says  is  indistinguishable 
from  that  of  the  tree-frog. 

Major  Bendire  says  that  some  of  their  nesting- 
holes  show  remarkably  neat  workmanship,  the 
edges  of  the  entrance-hole  being  beautifully 
beveled  off,  and  finished  inside  as  smoothly  as 
with  a  fine  rasp.  On  the  treeless  prairies  he  has 
found  them  obliged  to  nest  in  telegraph  poles 
and  similar  places  provided  by  man.  Unlike  the 
Flickers,  the  Major  says  the  Red-heads  do  not 
feed  their  young  by  regurgitation,  but  bring  them 
their  grasshoppers  '  au  naturel.' 


HAIBY   WOODPECKER 


135 


FIG. 


Hairy  Woodpecker :  Dry  abates  villosus. 

Male,  upper  parts  black,  spotted  and  striped  with  white ;  red 
band  on  back  of  head ;  under  parts  white.  Female,  similar, 
but  without  red  on  neck.  Young,  with  crown  red.  Length, 
about  9£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern  United  States,  from 
northern  border  south  to  North  Carolina.  Closely  allied 
races  occur  throughout  the  west,  and  from  the  table-lands 
near  the  city  of  Mexico  to  northern  Canada. 


136  HAIEY   WOODPECKER 

The  Hairy  is  one  of  the  two  commonest  black 
and  white  Woodpeckers.  It  is  usually  shy  and 
not  often  seen  about  houses.  In  the  nesting 
season  the  birds  are  noisy,  the  male  spending  his 
leisure  time  drumming  on  a  resonant  dead  limb, 
being,  as  Doctor  Fisher  well  puts  it,  a  maker  of 
instrumental  music.  When  playing  his  piano, 
"  the  louder  the  noise  produced,  the  more  satisfac- 
tory it  appears  to  be  to  the  performer,"  we  are 
assured  by  Major  Bendire.  As  the  best  of  us 
can  speak  only  in  the  tongue  we  know,  the  Wood- 
peckers announce  their  love  on  the  drum.  If  the 
tattoo  falls  softly  on  the  ear  of  the  lady,  the 
happy  Woodpecker  pair  set  about  looking  for  a 
home.  They  choose  their  tree  with  such  good 
judgment,  Major  Bendire  tells  us,  that  hard  knots 
are  rarely  encountered  in  their  excavations.  He 
says  that  both  birds  work  on  the  nest,  and  it 
takes  them  about  a  week  to  prepare  it.  "  The 
entrance-hole  is  as  round  as  if  made  with  an 
augur."  Both  birds  incubate,  and  when  the 

O 

young  appear  feed  them  by  regurgitation,  the 
conventional  method  it  seems  with  Woodpeckers 
when  their  young  first  hatch,  though  the  Red- 
heads and  a  few  others  feed  by  the  bill  as  the 
brood  grow  up.  The  Major  thinks  that  the  Hairy 
Woodpeckers  remain  mated  through  life. 

In  regard  to  their  food  he  says  :  "  The  Hairy 
Woodpecker,  like  most  of  its  relatives,  is  an 
exceedingly  beneficial  and  useful  bird,  which  rids 


DOWNY   WOODPECKER  137 

our  orchards  and  forests  of  innumerable  injurious 
larvae,  like  those  of  the  boring  beetles.  It  never 
attacks  a  sound  tree.  Although  commonly  known 
as  Sapsucker,  this  name  is  very  inappropriate ; 
it  is  not  in  search  of  sap,  but  of  such  grubs  as  are 
only  found  in  decaying  wood ;  nevertheless  .  .  . 
many  are  shot  under  the  erroneous  belief  that 
they  injure  the  very  trees  they  are  doing  their 
best  to  protect.  In  central  New  York,  and 
undoubtedly  in  other  sections  as  well,  where  a 
few  decades  ago  one  could  see  some  of  the  finest 
apple  orchards  to  be  found  anywhere,  you  may 
look  in  vain  for  them  now.  Nearly  every  tree  of 
any  size  now  shows  abundant  and  unmistakable 
signs  of  decay,  caused  by  the  increase  of  the  in- 
sects which  live  in  them  and  the  decrease  of 
such  birds  as  destroy  these  pests.  In  Oneida 
and  Herkimer  counties,  New  York,  the  top  of 
nearly  every  black  ash  tree  is  dead,  and  the  trees 
are  slowly  decaying,  undoubtedly  due  to  some 
species  of  boring  beetle." 

Downy  Woodpecker:  Dryobates  pubescens  and  allies. 

Adult  male,  upper  parts  black,  spotted  and  striped  with  white  ; 
under  parts  white  ;  a  scarlet  band  on  the  nape.  Adult  fe- 
male, similar,  but  without  the  scarlet  patch.  Young,  with 
crown  red.  Length,  about  6|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  from  Labrador 
and  Alaska  to  Florida  and  California ;  resident  throughout 
their  ranges. 

The  gentle  little  Downy  Woodpecker  is  a  bird 


138  DOWNY   WOODPECKER 

we  may  have  always  with  us,  even  in  the  storm- 
iest winter  weather,  all  for  the  slight  trouble  of 
nailing  a  piece  of  suet  or  fresh  pork  on  a  tree. 
Though  we  can  gain  its  company  by  feeding  it, 
the  Downy  is  quite  capable  of  looking  after  it- 
self in  winter,  living  like  the  Chickadee  on  what 
it  extracts  from  cocoons,  together  with  insect  eggs 
and  larvae  which  it  gets  from  the  bark.  As 
Major  Bendire  says :  "  Unfortunately,  it  is  also 
considered  a  Sapsucker,  and  many  of  these  ex- 
ceedingly useful  little  Woodpeckers  are  killed 
yearly  through  lamentable  ignorance,  under  the 
supposition  that  they  injure  the  fruit-trees  by 
boring  in  the  bark,  while  in  fact  they  render  the 
horticulturist  inestimable  service  by  ridding  his 
orchard  of  innumerable  injurious  insects,  their 
eggs  and  Iarva3,  and  few  of  our  native  birds  de- 
serve our  good  will  more  than  the  little  Downy 
Woodpecker.  The  most  stringent  protection  is 
none  too  good  for  it." 

Besides  the  accusation  of  being  a  Sapsucker, 
Downy  is  accused  of  eating  fruit.  The  falsity  of 
this  charge  is  shown  by  the  fact  that,  of  140 
stomachs  examined  by  the  experts  of  the  Biologi- 
cal Survey  in  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  only 
3  contained  fruit;  apple  being  found  in  2  and 
strawberries  in  1.  On  the  other  hand,  almost  75 
per  cent,  of  the  bird's  food  is  insects.  Eleven 
Woodpeckers  taken  in  Kansas  in  winter  con- 
tained 10  per  cent,  of  grasshopper  eggs.  The  little 


DOWNY  WOODPECKER 


139 


bird  also  destroys  May  beetles,  plant  lice,  and  ants. 

A  single  wood-borer  will  often  kill  an  entire  tree, 

and  one  fifth  of  the  Downy's  animal  food  con- 
sists of  caterpillars,  many 
of  which  bore  into  wood  and 
live  on  stems  and  leaves. 
Indeed,  the  Downy  is  the 
most  beneficial  of  all  the 
useful  Woodpecker  family. 
Its  bill  is  a  good  excavating 
tool,  and  its  barbed  tongue 
also  bears  witness  to  its 
effective  search  for  insects 
(Fig.  71). 

Downy's  song  is  a  thin 
rattle,  his  call  note  a  sharp 
peek-peek,  a  most  grateful 

sound  when  it  breaks  the  winter  still- 
Seeing  the  birds  about  during 


FIG.  70. 
Wood-bor- 
ing Larva. 


FIG.  71. 
Tip  of 
Tongue 
of  Downy 
Wood- 
pecker, 
for  spear- 
ing In- 
sects   and 
their  Lar- 


ness. 

snowstorms,  we  wonder  what  becomes 

of  them  in  the  still  colder  nights,  but 

the  Downy  takes  good  care  of  himself. 

Doctor  Mearns  says,  in  his  interesting 

account  of  the  bird's  habits :  "  At  night 

he  is   comfortably   housed  in  a   hole,   which  he 

digs  expressly  for  that  purpose.     Always  ...  so 

far  as  my  experience  goes,  he  places  the  entrance 

to   his   burrow  so  as  to  face  the  sunny  south." 

One  little   chap  whom   the   Doctor  visited   one 

night  shortly  after  sunset  was  "  snugly  ensconced 


140  DOWNY   WOODPECKER 

within  the  cavity,  with  his  bill  warmly  tucked 
away  amongst  the  feathers,  which  were  ruffed 
up  so  as  to  look  like  a  black  and  white  ball,  with 
a  red-naped  head  tucked  in  the  middle.  While 
sleeping,  his  whole  frame  heaved  at  every  breath, 
so  profound  was  his  slumber." 

Glancing  back  over  the  four  Woodpeckers  we 
have  taken  up  —  the  four  commonest  of  the  fam- 
ily, the  Flicker,  Red-head,  Downy,  and  Hairy 
(Fig.  64,  p.  127 ;  Fig.  67,  p.  131 ;  Fig.  69,  p.  135), 
—  we  find  it  easy  to  discriminate  between  them. 
The  Hairy  and  Downy  are  the  most  typical  Wood- 
peckers, living  almost  exclusively  on  tree  trunks, 
whose  colors  they  match.  The  Red-head  has  more 
of  the  Flycatcher  habit  of  hunting,  and  descends 
to  fences ;  while  the  Flicker  is  still  less  of  a  true 
Woodpecker,  spending  most  of  his  time  on  the 
ground  looking  for  ants,  so  having  the  ground 
browns  on  his  back  in  place  of  the  conventional 
Woodpecker  black  and  white.  All  four  birds 
nest  in  tree  trunks,  as  do  the  Bluebirds,  Chicka- 
dees, and  Nuthatches.  Like  those  of  the  Swifts, 
the  Woodpeckers'  tails  are  stiff  and  pointed  for 
bracing  (see  Figs.  212  and  213,  p.  353),  but  the 
Flicker's  is  less  stiff  than  those  of  the  other 
Woodpeckers.  Its  bill  is  also  modified  from  the 
Woodpecker  type  ;  and  its  tongue,  which  is  one 
of  the  longest  (see  Fig.  66,  p.  130),  is  provided 
with  large  salivary  glands  and  sharp  points  on 
the  surface,  to  which  the  mucilaginous  saliva 
holds  the  ants  for  which  it  probes. 


WAX  WING  141 

Waxwing ;   Cedar-bird  :   Ampelis  cedrorum. 
(Plate  VIII.  p.  142.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;  in  the  east 
breeds  from  Virginia  and  the  highlands  of  South  Carolina 
north  to  Labrador ;  winters  from  the  northern  United  States 
to  Central  America. 

If  you  were  to  ask  a  dozen  persons  which  were 
their  favorite  birds  you  would  probably  get  widely 
varying  answers,  it  is  so  largely  a  matter  of  per- 
sonal associations.  But  there  are  certain  birds 
to  whom  every  one  is  attracted,  and  the  gentle, 
smooth-coated,  fawn-colored  Wax  wings  stand  high 
on  the  list. 

In  the  fall,  one  may  sometimes  be  fortunate 
enough  to  see  one  of  their  large  bands,  several 
hundred,  the  majority  of  which  are  young  birds  ; 
and  in  winter  one  may  have  the  rare  pleasure  of 
discovering  a  little  bare  tree  filled  with  apple -like 
forms,  which  on  closer  view  prove  to  be  the  gently 
lisping  beauties,  the  sight  of  which  always  arouses 
pleasant  memories.  In  the  early  summer,  when 
other  birds  have  gone  to  nesting,  small  companies, 
often  of  five,  seven,  nine,  or  eleven,  will  still  be 
seen  together ;  but  by  July  they  may  be  found  in 
pairs,  building  in  the  orchards.  Although  it  is 
always  a  pleasure  to  see  them,  they  are  particu- 
larly well  worth  watching  at  the  nest.  They  are 
birds  of  remarkable  affection  and  intelligence,  and 
their  habits  are  peculiarly  interesting.  By  raising 
and  lowering  their  crests  they  gain  great  variety 


142  WAXWING 

of  expression,  and  when  about  the  nest  often  as- 
sume protective  attitudes,  drawing  themselves  up 
to  look  like  long-necked  bottles  or  sticks  of  wood, 
and  sitting  absolutely  motionless  till  one  would 
imagine  longer  endurance  impossible.  Bird  lit- 
erature contains  many  anecdotes  of  their  affec- 
tion and  phenomenal  conjugal  devotion.  Doctor 
Brewer  tells  of  one  which,  when  its  mate  was 
entrapped,  became  so  preoccupied  with  anxiety  it 
allowed  itself  to  be  taken  in  the  hand,  and  when 
set  at  liberty  would  not  leave  till  its  companion 
was  freed  to  go  with  it.  In  caring  for  the  young, 
the  Waxwings  show  great  watchfulness.  They 
feed  by  regurgitation. 

Their  food  has  been  much  discussed.  In  some 
places  they  are  known  as  Cherry-birds,  but  culti- 
vated cherries  have  been  found  in  only  9  out  of 
152  stomachs  examined,  which,  as  Professor  Beal 
says,  "hardly  justifies  the  reputation  which  the 
bird  has  gained  as  a  destroyer  of  cherries."  He 
adds  that  this  supposed  cherry  habit,  "  to  the  care- 
less and  unobservant,  would  condemn  the  bird  to 
destruction,  but  the  closer  observer  looks  further." 
Investigation  shows  that  more  than  half  of  the 
whole  food  of  the  Cedar-bird  consists  of  wild 
fruit  which  has  no  value,  and  that  one  eighth  of 
its  food  consists  of  insects,  among  which  are  some 
of  the  worst  pests  of  the  country.  Furthermore, 
since  the  nestlings  are  fed  largely  on  insects,  the 
greatest  number  of  insects  are  eaten  when  fruit 


PLATE  VIII.  —  WAXWING 

Crest  and  whole  body  soft  fawn-color  ;  area  around  bill  velvety 
black  ;  tail  tipped  with  yellow  band  ;  wings  often  tipped  with 
flecks  of  red,  like  sealing-wax.  Length,  about  7£  inches. 


WAX  WING  143 

is  most  abundant.  The  Cedar-bird  eats  cater- 
pillars, spiders,  and  grasshoppers,  but  does  most 
marked  good  in  destroying  the  elm  leaf-beetle 
that  strips  our  village  and  city  trees  of  leaves. 
Mrs.  Mary  Treat  writes  of  one  town  in  which  the 
elms  had  been  ruined  for  several  years  before  the 
Cedar-birds  came,  and  which  were  afterward  com- 
paratively free  from  beetles.  From  one  calcula- 
tion, it  is  shown  that  30  Cedar-birds  would  de- 
stroy 9,000  worms  during  the  month  when  the 
cutworm  caterpillar  is' exposed. 

To  prevent  the  Cedar-bird  from  eating  culti- 
vated fruit,  and  to  attract  it  to  secure  its  help  in 
destroying  caterpillars,  it  would  be  well  to  plant 
the  common  bushes  upon  whose  berries  it  feeds, 
such  as  blackberry,  wild  cherry,  choke-cherry, 
sour  gum,  flowering  dogwood,  rough-leaved  dog- 
wood, chokeberry,  red  cedar,  Juneberry,  hack- 
berry,  black  haw,  black  elder,  huckleberry,  frost 
grape,  barberry,  mistletoe,  or  pokeberry. 

The  Waxwings  stand  in  a  family  by  themselves 
among  eastern  birds,  coming  between  the  Swal- 
lows and  the  Shrikes.  They  are  unique  among 
North  American  birds  in  having  wax-like  append- 
ages on  the  tips  of  their  wing-feathers  (Fig.  72). 
As  we  run  over  the  groups  of  birds  we  have  had, 
we  see  how  the  Cedar-birds  differ  from  them  in 
general  characters.  In  the  matter  of  coloration, 
the  earth,  leaf,  and  stubble  browns  of  the  ground 
birds  are  modified  in  them,  for  they  approach 


144  WAXWING 

more  nearly  the  soft  tints  of  the  Doves,  whose 
gentle  ways  they  also  share.  Like  the  Eed-headed 
Woodpeckers,  they  are  erratic,  wandering  birds, 
here  one  year,  somewhere  else  the  next.  As  they 
travel  in  flocks  they  may  be  classed  with  the 
Swallows,  Swifts,  Blackbirds,  and  Bobolinks, 


FIG.  72. 
Wing  of  Waxwing,  showing  wax-like  tips. 

rather  than  the  solitary  Flycatchers,  Vireos,  and 
Woodpeckers.  Ordinarily  the  Waxwings  are 
put  with  the  songless  birds,  and  credited  only 
with  two  low  calls,  a  short  whistle  and  the  '  beady 
note '  of  Thoreau ;  but  Mr.  Nehrling  says  that 
both  male  and  female  sing.  Careful  notes  on 
this  point  would  be  of  value,  and  any  study  given 
the  birds  will  be  more  than  repaid,  as  they  are 
unusually  individual. 


GOLDFINCH  145 


Goldfinch  ;    Yellow-bird  ;    Thistle-bird :    Spinus 
tristis. 

(See  Frontispiece.) 

Adult  male,  bright  yellow ;  cap,  wings,  and  tail  black,  marked 
with  white.  Adult  female,  brownish,  tinged  with  yellow  ; 
without  black  cap ;  wings  and  tail  blackish.  Adult  male  in 
winter,  similar  to  female.  Length,  about  5  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  United  States  northward  into 
Labrador,  Manitoba,  and  British  Columbia ;  breeds  from  Vir- 
ginia, Kentucky,  and  California  northward ;  winters  mainly 
within  the  United  States. 

Like  the  Waxwings,  the  Goldfinches  are  late 
builders,  and  when  other  birds  are  going  about 
silently,  preoccupied  with  nesting  cares,  it  is  a 
peculiar  pleasure  to  hear  the  light-hearted  per- 
chic-o-ree  of  a  band  of  wandering  Yellow-birds 
as  they  come  undulating  through  the  sky.  Few 
songs  have  the  sweetness  of  their  calls,  or  can 
awaken  the  same  response  in  our  hearts.  For, 
like  the  Chickadee,  the  Goldfinch  is  one  of  the 
gentle,  trustful  birds  that  hold  a  place  of  their 
own  in  our  affections. 

When  going  about  in  wandering  bands  they 
brighten  our  days,  and  when  nest-building  claim 
still  more  our  sympathetic  attention.  They  are 
on  the  lookout  for  soft  lining  materials,  and  will 
frankly  accept  any  bits  of  colored  worsted  or 
string  that  we  may  offer,  repaying  us  by  letting 
us  enjoy  their  sweet  family  life.  When  the  blue 
eggs  are  laid  upon  their  thistle-down  bed  in  the 


146  GOLDFINCH 

compact  round  nest  in  the  apple-tree,  the  father 
bird  watches  us  anxiously  till  he  knows  that  he 
can  trust  us  near  his  mate,  but  when  once  sure 
of  our  good  faith,  will  feed  her  in  our  presence. 
How  tenderly  he  calls  out  as  he  comes  to  her! 
The  quality  of  his  note  has  changed  entirely  since 
spring.  Instead  of  the  per-chic-o-ree  that  told 
only  of  his  delight  in  his  free  life  in  the  air,  his 
call  is  now  a  rich,  tender  dear,  dear,  dear-ie,  and 
a  gentle,  homelike  dear,  dear,  dear.  Mrs.  Mabel 
Osgood  Wright  gives  us  a  hint  worth  taking  in 
the  matter  of  attracting  the  Goldfinches.  She 
says :  "If  you  wish  them  to  live  with  you  and 
honor  your  trees  with  their  nests,  plant  sunflowers 
in  your  garden,  zinnias,  and  coreopsis ;  leave  a 
bit  of  wild  grass  somewhere  about  with  its  mass 
of  compositae.  Coax  the  wild  clematis  everywhere 
that  it  can  gain  footing ;  and  in  winter,  when 
these  joyous  birds,  gathered  in  flocks,  are  roving, 
hard-pressed  for  food,  scatter  some  sweepings  of 
bird-seed  about  their  haunts,  repaying  in  this  their 
silent  season  their  summer  melody." 

When  nesting-time  is  over,  the  dainty  birds 
again  gather  in  bands,  the  males  changing  their 
canary-colored  coats  for  the  safer  but  dingy  garb 
of  their  mates,  and  so  go  about  through  fall  and 
winter  doing  public  service  by  eating  the  seeds  of 
the  brown  weeds  that  stand  above  the  snow.  In 
one  place  a  flock  of  a  thousand  has  been  seen  feed- 
ing on  the  seeds  of  ragweed,  effectually  limiting 


GOLDFINCH 


147 


its  spread  there  for 
another  year.  As 
every  one  knows,  the 
'  thistle  birds  '  are 
especially  fond  of 
thistle  seeds.  They 
also  eat  the  seeds  of 
the  common  '  beg- 
gar's tick '  which  is 
so  troublesome  in 
bottom  lands,  and  the 
Iarva3  of  the  destruc- 
tive wheat  midge. 
In  summer  the  Gold- 
finches feed  their 
young  mainly  on  in- 
sects, such  as  beetles, 
plant  lice,  larvae,  flies,  and  small  grasshoppers. 

But  though  we  owe  them  gratitude  for  material 
benefits,  in  winter  we  think  more  of  the  good 
cheer  they  bring  us.  On  a  cold  November  day, 
when  the  bare  trees  are  outlined  against  a  gray 
sky,  the  sudden  calls  of  a  flock  of  these  little 
Goldfinches  will  be  like  a  burst  of  sunshine, 
bringing  back  all  the  gladness  of  summer.  But 
with  a  tweety-tweety-tweety  they  start  up  and  fly 
on,  the  gray  clouds  settle  back,  and  the  rain 
falls  again  on  the  black  and  dripping  branches. 


FIG.  78. 
Thistle,  seeds  eaten  by  Goldfinch. 


148'  PURPLE  FINCH 


Purple  Finch. :  Carpodacus  purpureus. 
(Plate  IX.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  Minnesota  and  southern  New  York  northward  ;  winters 
from  the  northern  states  to  the  Gulf. 

Purple  this  tuneful  little  Finch  assuredly  is 
not,  but  rather  a  warm  old  rose  as  if  he  had  been 
dipped  in  pokeberry  juice,  as  Mr.  Burroughs  so 
aptly  suggests.  The  Finch  part  of  the  name  is  less 
deceptive  and  bears  out  the  evidence  of  the  cone- 
shaped  bill ;  for  the  Purple  Finch  belongs  to  the 
Sparrow  and  Finch  family  of  seed-eaters,  whose 
partial  vegetarianism  enables  them  to  winter  north 
of  the  Gulf  and  who,  like  the  Goldfinch,  wander 
about  in  flocks  looking  for  food.  Doctor  Mearns 
says  of  their  flocks :  "  On  some  occasions  they 
are  quite  wild,  and,  on  being  approached,  all 
rise  at  once  on  wing  with  a  loud,  rushing  noise, 
accompanied  by  certain  peculiar  wild  notes,  which 
produce  quite  a  startling  effect.  .  .  .  When  feed- 
ing in  flocks,  the  rustle  of  their  wings  is  constant, 
and  their  united  chirping  produces  a  singular 
effect.  ...  I  have  found  immense  flocks  in 
March,  eating  the  seeds  of  hemlock  and  spruce. 
.  .  .  Like  the  Blue  Jay  and  some  other  birds, 
they  appear  to  be  unusually  lively  during  a  rain- 
storm ;  and  in  winter,  at  the  commencement  of  a 
snowstorm,  they  sometimes  hie  to  the  loftiest  tree- 
top,  and  begin  to  sing,  as  if  from  pleasure  or 
excitement." 


PLATE  IX.  —  PURPLE   FINCH 

Adult  male,  dull  rose-red.  Adult  female,  brownish,  streaked 
above  and  below.  Resembles  the  Sparrows,  but  has  a  notched 
tail.  Length,  about  6£  inches. 


INDIGO  BUNTING  149 

In  summer  the  song  of  this  pretty,  rosy  Finch 
is  one  of  the  common  village  sounds,  but  may 
easily  be  mistaken  for  that  of  the  Warbling 
Vireo,  until  the  two  are  heard  together,  when  it 
proves  to  be  much  louder  and  of  richer  quality 
than  that  of  the  Vireo.  The  call  note  of  the 
Finch  is  a  metallic  kimp,  kimp,  unlike  any  of 
the  Vireo's  notes. 

The  Purple  Finch  is  one  of  the  birds  that 
should  be  watched  closely  during  courtship.  Its 
songs  and  dances  are  —  apparently  —  of  more 
interest  to  beholders  than  to  its  prospective  mate ! 

Indigo  Bunting :  Passerina  cyanea. 

Adult  male,  whole  body  blue.  Adult  female,  plain  olive-brown 
above,  dusky  below;  wings  and  tail  black.  Young,  similar 
to  the  female  but  darker.  Length,  about  5£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  ;  breeds 
as  far  north  as  Minnesota  and  Nova  Scotia  ;  winters  in  Cen- 
tral America. 

In  early  June  one  of  the  predominating  eastern 
songs  is  that  of  the  Indigo-bird,  — 

Chrit-ty  —  chrit-ty  —  chrit-ty  chrit,  chrit,  chrit,  chree. 
Chrit-ty  —  chrit-ty  chrit,  chrit,  chrit,  ta,  tee. 
Chrit-ty  —  chrit-ty  —  chrit,  chrit,  chrit,  chrit,  chree. 

It  seems  commonplace  enough  when  other  birds 
are  singing,  but  when  the  hot  weather  has  silenced 
the  main  choir  the  Indigo's  solo  rings  out  with 
great  good  cheer.  He  often  takes  a  solitary  tree, 
and  as  if  mounting  a  ladder  flies  higher  and 
higher  up  its  branches  as  he  sings. 


150  INDIGO  BUNTING 

When  he  stops  in  the  middle  of  his  song  to 
attend  to  domestic  duties,  you  may  be  able  to 
surprise  him  in  his  castle  in  some  bushy  fence 
corner,  where  his  brown  mate  will  meet  you  with 
an  inhospitable,  anxious  air,  crying  cheep,  and 
twitching  her  tail  as  nervously  as  if  an  innocent 
ornithologist  could  be  a  murderer.  Have  a  care, 
though,  if  you  would  look  at  her  pretty  eggs,  for 
a  faint  pathway  through  the  bushes  is  enough 
to  betray  the  poor  bird's  secret  to  her  enemies, 
and  the  nest  is  so  low  and  so  easily  upset  that,  as 
I  know  to  my  sorrow,  with  the  best  intentions 
one  may  do  great  harm  while  examining  it.  A 
sight  of  the  eggs  will  repay  the  greatest  care, 
however,  for  they  are  exquisitely  delicate,  shading 
from  pure  white  to  faint  green  or  blue. 

Though  birds  of  such  beautiful  eggs,  color,  and 
song,  as  all  men  are  mortal,  the  Indigos  must 
needs  attend  the  homely  affairs  of  the  inner  man ; 
but  after  descending  to  grasshoppers,  caterpillars, 
and  cankerworms,  they  again  mount  to  the  tree- 
tops  and  sing  to  the  passing  clouds  their  song  of 
summer. 


PETO  BIED  151 

<  Peto  Bird ; '  Tufted  Titmouse  :  Parus  bicolor. 
(See  Fig.  77,  p.  153.) 

Crest  and  entire  upper  parts  gray ;  under  parts  white ;  sides 
washed  with  brown.  Length,  6  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  southern  Iowa  and  northern  New 
Jersey  ;  resident  throughout  its  breeding  range. 

Like  the  Cardinal,  the  Titmouse  is  to  be  found 
in  the  National  Zoological  Park  in  Washington 
throughout  the  year,  and  the  songs  of  the  two  may 
easily  be  mistaken,  although  the  pe-to  whistle  of 
the  Titmouse  is  distinctive  and  its  day-day-day- 
day-day-day-dait  proclaims  it  a  Chickadee.  Like 
the  Cardinal,  the  Titmouse  has  a  high  crest,  but 
there  the  resemblance  ends,  for  the  Titmouse 
is  a  small  bird  robed  in  Quaker  gray,  and  the 
Cardinal  a  large  bird  decked  out  in  cardinal 
plumes.  Then,  too,  the  bill  of  the  Titmouse  is 
small  and  black  like  the  Chickadee's,  while  the 
Cardinal's  is  swollen  and  red  (Fig.  28,  p.  65). 

In  the  southern  part  of  Illinois,  Mr.  Ridgway 
says,  no  bird  is  more  abundant  at  all  seasons  of 
the  year.  He  says  they  are  "  roving  in  restless, 
noisy  troops  through  the  woods,  scolding  at  every 
intruder  and  calling  to  one  another  in  harsh 
tones."  He  adds  that  in  winter  "  they  become 
very  familiar,  approaching  with  confidence  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  dwellings  —  and,  in  com- 
pany with  Snowbirds,  Carolina  Chickadees,  Nut- 


152     KEY  TO  NUTHATCHES  AND   TITMICE 

hatches,  Blue  Jays,  and  other  familiar  species, 
glean  their  portion  from  the  refuse  of  the  table." 
As  the  Titmice,  like  other  Chickadees,  nest  in 
cavities  in  trees,  they  can  readily  be  induced 
to  live  in  bird-houses  provided  for  them.  They 
find  plenty  of  food  in  winter,  as  they  live  not 
only  on  acorns,  which  they  take  under  their  claws 
and  hammer  open,  but  also  find  a  store  of  food  in 
the  eggs,  larvae,  and  chrysalids  of  insects  that 
live  on  bark  and  branches. 

Key  to  Nuthatches  and  Titmice. 

1.  Back  bluish  gray  ;  tail  short.     Found  on  tree  trunks. 

2.  Under   parts   reddish  brown  ;   crown   black  ;   side  of 
head  with  black  and  white  lines  from  bill  to  nape. 
Migrant    ...    p.  76.     RED-BREASTED  NUTHATCH. 

2'.  Under  parts  white  ;  crown  black  ;  sides  of  head  with- 
out lines    .    .    p.  73.     WHITE-BREASTED  NUTHATCH. 

V.  Back  dull  gray  ;  tail  long.     Found  on  branches. 

3.  Head   crested  ;   crown   and   throat  not  black.-    Song, 
pe-to,  pe-to,  pe-to  ...    p.  151.     TUFTED  TITMOUSE. 

3'.  Head  not  crested  ;  crown  and  throat  black. 
4.  Wings  and  tail  edged  with  white.     Northern. 

p.  67.    CHICKADEE. 

4'.  Wings  and  tail  not  edged  with  white. 

p.  71.    CAROLINA  CHICKADEE. 


NUTHATCHES  AND   TITMICE 


153 


FIG.  74. 
Chickadee. 


FIG.  75. 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 


FIG.  76. 
White-breasted  Nuthatch. 


su 

FIG.  77. 
Tufted  Titmouse. 

REPRESENTATIVES    OF    THE    FAMILY    OF   NUTHATCHES 
AND   TITS. 


154 


BLUE  JAY 


_ 
"4&'v$&      > 


FIG.  78. 
Blue  Jay  :    Cyanocitta  cristata. 

Crest  and  tipper  parts  purplish ;  wings  and  tail  blue,  marked  with 
black  and  white  ;  under  parts  gray,  with  black  collar  extending 
up  across  the  back  of  the  head.  Length,  about  llf  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  Florida  to  Newfoundland ;  westward  to  Texas  and  Man- 
itoba ;  generally  resident  throughout  its  range. 

The  Blue  Jay,  one  of  our  handsomest  and  most 
vivacious  birds,  like  the  Nuthatches  and  Chicka- 
dees, may  be  attracted  in  winter  by  suet  hung  on 
the  trees.  Some  New  England  farmers  make 
beds  of  chaff  on  which  they  throw  out  corn  for 
the  Jays,  and  the  birds  come  for  the  corn  while 
the  snow  lasts,  but  as  soon  as  bare  ground  appears 
they  are  off  to  find  food  they  like  better  —  mast, 
the  large  seeds  of  trees  and  shrubs,  including 
acorns,  chestnuts,  and  beechnuts. 

This  preference  for  mast,  though  depriving  us 
of  the  Jay's  society,  is  a  good  thing  for  the  bird, 


BLUE  JAY 


155 


as  it  proves  that  he  only  takes  corn  when  nothing 
better  offers.  Statistics  bear  this  out.  In  Oc- 
tober and  November,  when  most  corn  is  to  be 
had,  the  Jay  stomachs  that  have  been  examined 
show  only  1  per  cent,  of  corn  against  64  per 


FIG.  79. 
Sphynx  Moth,  eaten  by  Blue  Jay. 

cent,  of  mast,  while  19  per  cent,  of  the  bird's  total 
food  is  noxious  insects,  such  as  grasshoppers  and 
caterpillars.  Figures  clear  his  name  in  other  mat- 
ters, for  it  has  been  noised  abroad  that  he  robs 
birds'-nests,  but  remains  of  birds'  eggs  were  found 
in  only  3  out  of  280  stomachs,  and  young  birds 
in  only  2,  which,  to  say  the  least,  proves  that  he 


156  BLUE  JAY 

is  not  as  black  as  he  has  been  painted.  Cats  do 
much  more  harm  than  Jays  in  this  respect ;  but 
we  do  not  even  license  our  cats,  much  less  shoot 
our  vagrants.  In  summing  up  the  Jay's  economic 
status,  it  is  seen  that  he  does  little  harm  to  agri- 
culture, since  all  but  a  small  part  of  the  corn  he 
eats  is  taken  in  winter,  and  is  only  waste  grain, 
while  he  more  than  makes  up  for  this  by  the  large 
quantity  of  insects  of  which  he  rids  us.  He  is 
particularly  fond  of  the  sphynx  moth  family,  not- 
ably the  member  that  is  destructive  to  grapes. 

Mrs.  Olive  Thome  Miller  has  always  befriended 
the  abused  Jay,  and  in  '  A  Bird-Lover  in  the 
West'  gives  some  delightful  chapters  on  a  nest 
that  she  watched.  This  was  in  the  top  of  a  pine- 
tree,  though  the  birds  build  ordinarily  lower.  In 
Ohio  Mr.  H.  C.  Oberholser  has  found  the  nests 
in  thorny  bushes.  The  eggs  are  olive  or  brown- 
ish, thickly  marked  with  brown  spots. 

The  Jay's  power  as  a  mimic  is  well  known,  and 
mice  may  well  tremble  at  his  hawk-like  cries. 

The  Jay  belongs  to  the  family  of  Crows  and 
Jays,  and  has  the  powerful  bill  and  feet  of  the 
family.  (See  Figs.  135  and  136,  p.  218.)  He 
uses  his  feet  as  the  Crow  does  —  to  hold  his  food 
while  he  hammers  it  with  his  bill. 

Like  the  Crows,  the  Jays  are  social  birds,  and 
live  in  flocks  when  not  nesting.  An  extreme  and 
most  remarkable  instance  of  their  devotion  to 
each  other  is  given  in  '  The  Auk '  by  Mr.  Frithof 


BELTED  KINGFISHER 


157 


Kumlien.  He  found  an  old  feeble  Jay,  with 
feathers  faded,  claws  worn,  bill  dulled,  and  eyes 
blurred  and  dim,  who  was  being  protected  and 
cared  for  by  his  companions.  Some  of  them  were 
always  near  to  warn  him  of  danger,  and  besides 
this,  the  faithful  band  would  bring  him  food  and 
carefully  lead  the  old  blind  bird  to  a  spring  for  a 
daily  bath.  (« Auk,'  vol.  v.  p.  434.) 


FIG.  80. 
Belted  Kingfisher :    Ceryle  alcyon. 

Adult  male,  crest  and  upper  parts  bluish  gray  ;  under  parts 
white  ;  breast  with  bluish  gray  band.  Adult  female,  similar, 
but  sides  and  band  on  belly  brown.  Length,  about  13  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  in  the  east 
breeding  from  Florida  to  Labrador,  and  wintering  from  Vir- 
ginia to  South  America. 

Not  the  least  of  the  pleasures  of  living  beside 
a  river  or  lake  is  the  chance  of  seeing  one  of 
these  original  birds  on  his  way  back  and  forth  to 
his  fishing  grounds.  Sometimes  he  flies  so  low 


158 


BELTED  KINGFISHER 


FIG.  81. 
Belted  Kingfisher. 

you  can  see  his  reflection  in  the  water ;  but  again 
goes  high  above,  cleaving  the  air  so  swiftly  that, 
before  you  have  had  time  to  rejoice  at  his  loud, 
stirring  rattle  and  made  up  your  mind  to  follow 
him,  he  has  left  you  far  behind. 

Mr.  Burroughs  says  that  if  you  do  "  follow  his 
rattle,  ...  he  will  show  you  the  source  of  every 
trout  and  salmon  stream  on  the  continent,"  add- 
ing that  he  always  fishes  alone,  "true  angler 
that  he  is,  his  fellow  keeping  far  ahead  or  behind, 
or  taking  the  other  branch." 

This  is  in  line  with  Mr.  Widmann's  theory  of 


BELTED  KINGFISHER  159 

the  inability  of  some  birds  to  indulge  the  social 
instinct,  for  the  Kingfisher's  feeding  habits  may 
well  necessitate  private  preserves.  Whatever  sea- 
birds  may  do,  trout-stream  fishermen  can  ill  afford 
to  go  in  flocks.  To  be  sure,  though  the  king  of 
fishermen,  this  sensible  bird  does  not  always 
restrict  himself  to  a  diet  of  fish.  In  the  east,  if 
opportunity  offers,  he  eats  crustaceans,  grasshop- 
pers, crickets,  and  beetles  of  the  June  bug  family ; 
and  in  Arizona,  where  rivers  are  scarce  and 
deserts  plenty,  he.  lives  mainly  on  beetles,  grass- 
hoppers, and  lizards. 

Like  the  Yireos,  Flycatchers,  and  Hawks  and 
Owls,  the  Kingfishers  have  the  power  of  ejecting 
pellets  of  the  indigestible  bones 
and  scales  which  they  have  swal- 
lowed whole.  These  are  found 
around  the  burrows  where  they 
nest.  Fio.  82. 

Like  the  Bank  Swallows,  though  Undeveloped  foot 
their  feet  are  undeveloped  (Fig.  of  Kin£fi*her- 
82),  they  use  them  as  trowels  for  excavating  holes 
in  sandbanks.  Major  Bendire  says  that  while  it 
may  take  a  pair  three  weeks  to  excavate  their  nest, 
he  has  known  them  to  make  a  tunnel  five  feet  long 
in  a  little  over  three  days.  He  says  the  male 
sometimes  burrows  a  second  hole  over  three  feet 
deep,  in  which  to  sleep.  By  flashing  a  mirror 
into  one  of  the  burrows,  Mr.  Fuertes  has  seen  one 
of  the  brooding  birds  on  her  nest.  The  young 


160  YELLOW-BILLED   CUCKOO 

are  hatched  without  feathers,  and  remain  in  the 
nest  several  weeks.  Audubon  says  that  when 
they  are  in  the  nest  the  mother,  if  disturbed, 
will  sometimes  fall  on  the  water  as  if  severely 
wounded,  while  her  mate  on  a  branch  above 
shows  his  perturbation  by  jerking  his  tail,  rais- 
ing his  crest,  rattling,  and  flying  anxiously  back 
and  forth. 

Though  shy  at  the  nest,  the  Kingfisher,  if 
treated  with  respect,  becomes  used  to  the  genus 
homo.  At  Lake  Placid,  when  moored  in  a  boat 
alongshore,  I  have  had  one  perch  almost  over 
me,  and  dive  so  near  that  the  water  spattered  my 
paddle. 

Yellow-billed   Cuckoo  :    Coccyzus  americanus. 
(Fig.  83,  p.  161.) 

Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  with  a  slight  greenish  gloss  ;  wings 
and  outer  tail  feathers  black,  conspicuously  tipped  with  white 
(thumb-marks) ;  under  parts  white ;  under  mandible  yellow. 
Length,  about  12|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;  breeds  from 
Florida  to  New  Brunswick,  and  winters  in  the  West  Indies  and 
Central  America. 

The  cry  of  the  '  Rain  Crow '  is  a  familiar  coun- 
try sound,  but  the  bird  who  makes  it  is  less  well 
known.  It  is  a  bird  that  keeps  closely  hidden, 
flying  out  of  one  tree  or  bush  only  to  cross  to 
other  cover,  and  moving  so  silently  and  swiftly 
that  it  might  well  escape  detection.  But  it  is  a 
bird  that  every  student  and  lover  of  the  curious 


YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO  161 

should  hunt  out  and  study  patiently,  for  like  the 
Waxwing  it  is  an  original  character.  As  Mr. 
Burroughs  says,  "  something  remote  seems  ever 
weighing  upon  his  mind."  In  'Little  Brothers 
of  the  Air,'  Mrs.  Olive  Thome  Miller  gives  an 


FIG.  83. 
Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 

account  of  the  performances  of  a  pair  of  Cuckoos 
which  she  watched  nesting,  and  who  tried  by  the 
most  remarkable  but  characteristic  posturing  and 
ventriloqual  calling  to  intimidate,  mystify,  and 
lure  her  away  from  the  brood. 

Great  care  must  be  taken  in  watching  Cuckoo 
nests,  as  the  birds  are  very  apt  to  desert  them 
when  discovered.  The  Yellow-bill  is  one  of  the 
poorest  nest-builders ;  and  while  the  young  often 
do  fall  out  of  the  nest,  the  wonder  is  that  any  are 
ever  able  to  stay  on  top  of  the  loose  mat  of  twigs 


162 


YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO 


FIG.  84. 
Tent-caterpillar,  eaten  by  Cuckoo. 

prepared  so  carelessly  for  them.      The  eggs  of 
both  Yellow  and  Black-billed  are  greenish  blue. 

The  Cuckoos  might  well  be  called  caterpillar 
birds,  for  they  are  so  given  to  a  diet  of  the  hairy 
caterpillars  that  the  walls  of  their  stomachs  are 
actually  permeated  with  the  hairs,  and  a  section 
of  stomach  looks  like  the  smoothly  brushed  top 
of  a  gentleman's  beaver  (Fig.  85,  p.  163). 


BLACK-BILLED   CUCKOO  168 

The  Yellow-billed  is  especially  fond  of  the  de- 
structive caterpillars   that   make  the   large  web 
nests  in  our  fruit-trees.      Re- 
mains of  43  of  these  caterpil- 
lars were  found  in  the  stomach 
of  one  bird  shot  at  six  o'clock 
in   the  morning.     But  it  was 
not   only  this  early  bird  that 
got  the  worm,  for  in  21  stom-  FIG.  85. 

achs  examined  there  were  355        Section  of  Cucko° 
caterpillars  and  23   grasshop- 
pers, in  addition  to  a  collection  of  saw-flies,  po- 
tato bugs,  and  other  insects.      One  stomach  con- 
tained 217  fall  web-worms ! 

Black-billed  Cuckoo  :  Coccyzus  eryihrophfhalmus. 

Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  with  slight  green  gloss  ;  wings  and 
tail  the  same,  only  slightly  tipped  with  white ;  under  parts 
white  ;  bill  black.  Length,  about  llf  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  ;  breeds  as  far  north  as  Labrador  and  As- 
siniboia,  and  winters .  in  Central  and  South  America. 

The  Black-billed  Cuckoo  is  very  much  like  the 
Yellow-billed,  but  lacks  the  reddish  brown  wings, 
black  tail,  yellow  mandible,  and  the  heavy  thumb- 
marks  on  the  tail  of  the  Yellow-billed  (Figs.  86, 
87,  p.  164).  The  call  of  the  Yellow-billed  is  given 
as  tut-tut,  tut-tut,  cl-uck-cl-uck-cl-uck-cl-uck-cl-uclc,- 
cl-uck,  cow,  cow,  cow,  cow,  cow,  cow ;  while  the 
Black-billed,  it  is  said,  has  the-  cow  notes  con- 
nected, and  has  altogether  a  much  softer  voice. 


164 


BLACK-BILLED   CUCKOO 


FIG.  86. 
Tail  of  Black-billed  Cuckoo. 


FIG.  87. 
Thumb-marks  on  tail  of  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 

The  nests  and  eggs  are  similar,  though  the 
Black-billed's  nest  is  not  quite  so  loosely  put 
together. 

The  Cuckoos  are  among  the  first  birds  on  Mr. 
Forbush's  list  of  those  that  eat  the  caterpillars 

of  the  gypsy 
moth,  which  for 
some  years  back 

gMMEp^H!  •fff3*'  nas   been   ravag- 

ing   New     Eng- 
land  trees.      Of 
FlG88  the  Black-billed's 

Gypsy  Moth,  eaten  by  Cuckoo.  stomachs    exam- 

ined by  the  Bio- 
logical Survey,  16  contained  328  caterpillars,  and 
in  addition  15  grasshoppers  and  some  spiders. 
The  Cuckoos  and  Kingfishers  are  in  the  same 


%, 


KEY  TO  CUCKOOS  AND  KINGFISHERS     165 

order,  and  although  so  unlike  except  in  anatomy, 
stand  apart  from  all  other  birds.  By  running 
over  the  orders  of  birds  we  have  had,  their  un- 
likenesses  will  easily  be  seen. 

Land  Birds,  —  Order  I.  Grouse,  Quail,  etc. 
Order  II.  Pigeons  and  Doves.  Order  III.  Birds 
of  Prey.  Order  IV.  Cuckoos  and  Kingfishers. 
Order  V.  Woodpeckers.  Order  VI.  Humming- 
birds, Swifts,  etc.  Order  VII.  Perching  Birds : 
1.  Flycatchers ;  2.  Crows  and  Jays  ;  3.  Black- 
birds and  Orioles  ;  4.  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 


Key  to  Adult  Male  Cuckoos 

and  Kingfishers. 
1.  Crested.      Back  bluish.      Under 

parts  white  with  blue  belt.  Found 

by  water. 

p.  157.     BELTED  KINGFISHER. 

2.  Not  crested.    Back  not  bluish.    Upper  parts  brownish  ; 

under  parts  plain  white.     Found  in  undergrowth, 
a.  Tail  black,  with  distinct  white  thumb-marks  on  under 
side.     Under  manible  yellow. 

p.  160.     YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO. 

a'.  Tail  brown,  without  distinct  thumb-marks  ;  bill  black, 
p.  163.     BLACK-BILLED  CUCKOO. 


166 


ROSE-BREASTED   GROSBEAK 


FIG.  89. 
.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak :   Zamelodia  ludoviciana. 

Male,  head,  throat,  and  back  black  ;  under  parts,  rump,  and 
marks  on  wings  and  tail  white ;  breast  and  under  wing1  coverts 
with  patches  of  rose-red.  Female,  brownish,  sparrowy-look- 
ing  bird,  with  white  line  through  crown  and  over  eye.  Saffron 
yellow  under  wings.  Length,  about  8  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Eastern  Kansas  and  the  higher  altitudes  of  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina  northward  to  Maine  and  Manitoba ;  winters  in 
Central  and  South  America. 

In  June  the  New  England  villages  ring  with 
the  songs  of  birds  —  the  merry  bubbling  of 
Wrens,  the  monotonous  short  sentences  of  the 
Red-eye,  the  smooth-flowing  roundelay  of  the 
Warbling  Vireo,  the  che-beck  of  the  Least  Fly- 


EOSE-BEEASTED   GEOSBEAK  167 

catcher,  the  trill  of  the  Chipping  Sparrow,  the 
shrill  twittering  of  passing  Swifts,  the  pipe  of 
the  flashing  Oriole,  and  the  rich  rounded  pendu- 
lum song  of  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  Except 
perhaps  the  Oriole's,  it  is  the  loudest  and  most 
musical  of  all  the  many  songs,  and  may  be  easily 
traced  to  its  source  —  often  in  the  dense  green  of 
an  apple-tree  top.  If  the  song  stops  before  you 
have  sighted  your  bird,  he  may  be  found  by  the 
odd  thin  ick,  eek,  or  peek  which  is  his  character- 
istic call.  The  first  glimpse  of  his  black  head 
and  the  rose-colored  patch  on  his  breast  is  enough 
to  identify  him ;  while  the  large,  streaked  brown 
bird  who  flies  away  with  him  may  be  recognized 
by  her  size,  —  she  is  too  large  for  a  Sparrow,  — 
by  the  white  line  over  her  eye,  and  by  her  abnor- 
mally large  beak,  for  the  Grosbeak  bill  gives 
the  bird  its  name  and  is  an  exaggeration  of  the" 
Finch  type. 

This  powerful  crusher  is  put  to  most  excellent 
use  in  the  potato  field  for  killing  the  Colorado 
potato  beetles,  of  which  the  birds  are  particularly 
fond.  The  Grosbeaks  have  been  accused  of  eat- 
ing peas,  but  the  stomachs  of  those  killed  while 
about  the  vines  contained  but  few  peas,  and 
enough  potato  bugs  and  other  harmful  insects  to 
pay  for  all  the  peas  taken  in  a  whole  season. 
The  garden  where  these  Grosbeaks  were  found 
adjoined  a  potato  patch,  which  was  so  infested 
with  bugs  that  the  vines  were  completely  riddled. 


168 


ROSE-BREASTED  GROSBEAK 


The  Grosbeaks  visited  the  field  every  day,  and 
when  their  young  were  old  enough  to  travel  the 
whole  family  appeared  on  the  scene,  where  their 
proceedings  were  watched  and  chronicled  by  Pro- 
fessor Beal.  The  young  birds  stood  in  an 


ex- 


FIG.  90. 
Colorado  Potato  Beetles,  eaten  by  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 

pectant  row  on  the  topmost  rail  of  the  fence,  and 
their  parents  flew  briskly  back  and  forth  bring- 
ing them  beetles.  A  few  days  later  Professor 
Beal  revisited  the  scene  of  the  massacre,  and  "  not 
a  beetle  was  to  be  found,  either  old  or  young  ;  the 
birds  had  swept  them  from  the  field  and  saved 
the  potatoes." 

But  while  we  appreciate  his  services,  our  affec- 


ROSE-BREASTED  GROSBEAK  169 

tion  for  the  Grosbeak  is  not  based  on  his  fond- 
ness for  potato  bugs.  He  is  a  striking  and  beau- 
tiful creature  and  his  song  is  a  delight ;  moreover, 
aside  from  his  beauty  and  song,  he  is  a  most  lov- 
able bird.  One  of  the  pleasantest  nesting  epi- 
sodes I  have  ever  known  was  that  of  a  Grosbeak 
family.  The  pretty,  pale  blue  eggs  with  their 
brown  markings  were  laid  in  a  nest  of  twigs  in  a 
pear-tree,  close  beside  a  carriage  drive,  and  the 
trustful  birds  seemed  to  realize  that  they  were 
among  friends.  The  father  was  most  devoted, 
brooding  the  nest  and  feeding  the  young.  All 
his  thoughts  seemed  to  centre  about  the  pear- 
tree  ;  the  little  home  there  was  clearly  the  point 
around  which  everything  in  his  world  revolved. 
When  he  came  to  the  nest,  it  was  with  a  low,  sweet 
greeting ;  when  he  left,  it  was  with  a  soft  fare- 
well ;  if  danger  threatened  he  was  on  the  spot, 
and  his  anxious  cries  filled  the  air ;  when  all  was 
quiet  again  and  he  had  flown  away,  his  cheering 
song  came  back  to  his  mate  on  the  nest,  as  if  to 
assure  her  that  he  was  near.  The  rich  music 
that  was  always  ringing  about  the  home,  the  ten- 
der watchfulness  and  affection  of  the  old  birds, 
and  the  quiet  happiness  of  the  mother  of  the 
family  on  her  nest  under  the  green  leaves,  all 
seemed  suited  to  the  cheery  orchard  with  its  mel- 
low sunshine  and  its  ripening  fruit. 


170  SCAELET  TANAGER 


Scarlet  Tanager  :  Piranga  eryihromelas. 

Adult  male,  whole  body  bright  scarlet ;  bill,  wings,  and  tail 
black  ;  under  wings  white.  Adult  female,  upper  parts  light 
olive  ;  wings  and  tail  brownish  ;  under  parts  greenish  yellow. 
Young  male  and  adult  male  in  winter,  similar  to  female,  but 
wings  and  tail  black.  Length,  7g-  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  southern  Illinois  and  Virginia  to  Manitoba  and  New 
Brunswick  ;  winters  in  Central  and  northern  South  America. 

Whenever  we  hear  a  thin  eek  in  a  treetop, 
though  its  maker  is  invisible,  we  can  say  with 
assurance  that  a  Grosbeak  is 
there ;  and  so,  when  we  hear  a 
call  of  chip-churr  in  the  green 
leafy  woods,  we  know  that  we 
are  listening  to  that  most 
Bill  ofTanager.  brilliant  of  North  American 
birds,  the  Scarlet  Tanager. 
It  may  or  may  not  be  an  easy  matter  to  find  him, 
for,  though  on  the  migrations  he  is  often  seen  in 
low  bushes,  his  choice  is  usually  for  the  massive 
green  treetops.  His  song  is  the  best  clue,  for 
it  is  a  loud,  swinging-pendulum  song,  —  like  the 
Grosbeak's,  only  less  smoothly  rounded,  —  and  by 
getting  its  direction,  as  the  bird  moves  about,  you 
can  catch  at  least  a  passing  glimpse  of  his  glow- 
ing coat  and  glossy  black  wings  and  tail.  And 
there  are  moments  when  a  glimpse  is  enough.  It 
is  all  very  well  if  alone  in  a  leafy  vale,  with 
nothing  to  do  but  dream  under  the  enchanter's 


SCAELET  TANAGER  171 

lay,  but  alas  for  the  unhappy  leader  of  a  bird 
class  endeavoring  to  concentrate  attention  upon 
invisible  and  fleeting  Warblers !  At  sight  of  the 
first  red  feather  all  other  birds  are  forgotten,  and 
one  may  as  well  bid  farewell  to  Warblers  and  fol- 
low meekly  where  the  beauty  calls.  Rest  assured, 
no  other  bird  will  be  worth  looking  at  while  he  is 
by  !  In  Washington,  where  both  Scarlet  Tana- 
gers  and  Cardinals  are  seen,  especially  when  the 
Tanagers  are  on  their  way  north,  the  two  red  birds 
are  sometimes  confused,  though  in  reality  they 
are  very  unlike.  The  Cardinal  may  always  be 
told  by  his  high  crest  (see  Fig.  28,  p.  65),  and 
the  Tanager  by  his  black  wings  and  tail,  while,  in 
addition,  the  Cardinal  is  much  the  larger  of  the 
two,  and  his  red  coat  a  cardinal  rather  than  a 
scarlet  shade. 

As  the  Tanager  lives  inside  the  woods  and 
hunts  mainly  in  dense  foliage,  he  is  much  less 
exposed  to  enemies  than  birds  which  live  out  in 
open  fields  or  even  in  village  trees,  so  can  well 
afford  to  wear  colors  that  would  be  fatal  to  Spar- 
rows and  such  commoners  who  pitch  their  tents 
on  the  plain.  The  Tanagers  build  low,  however, 
and  the  mother  bird  could  not  be  scarlet  with- 
out greatly  endangering  the  nest.  Accordingly 
nature  has  provided  her  with  a  leaf-colored  suit 
that  is  a  perfect  disguise.  If  danger  threatens 
she  flies  into  the  leaves,  and  you  may  hunt  a 
merry  hour  before  discovering  her,  unless  she 
moves  in  unleaf-like  style. 


172  SCARLET  TANAGEE 

Tanagers  are  as  good  actors  as  Bobolinks,  and 
will  lead  you  a  dance  if  you  are  looking  for  their 
nest.  The  only  one  I  ever  found  belonged  to  an 
aBsthetic  pair  who  built  on  the  leafy  arch  of  a 
slender  sapling  which  had  been  bowed  to  earth 
by  a  falling  tree.  It  was  made  of  fine  twigs,  but 
we  never  saw  the  pale  greenish  blue  eggs  that 
should  have  been  laid  in  it,  for  at  an  unlucky 
moment  my  big  dog  gave  a  sneeze  that  betrayed 
our  presence,  and  the  nest  was  promptly  deserted. 

The  devotion  of  the  old  birds  to  their  young  is 
spoken  of  by  Wilson,  and  he  gives  a  touching 
instance  of  it.  A  nestling  was  taken  and  carried 
half  a  mile,  where  it  was  caged  and  hung  out  in 
a  tree.  The  distressed  father  followed  it  all  the 
way  and  stayed  by  to  feed  it  in  the  cage,  con- 
stantly uttering  "  cries  of  entreaty  to  its  offspring 
to  come  out  of  its  prison,"  cries  so  sad  that  the 
kind-hearted  man  who  had  captured  the  bird 
"took  out  the  prisoner,  and  restored  it  to  its 
parent,  who  accompanied  it  in  its  flight  to  the 
woods  with  notes  of  great  exultation." 


SUMMER   TANAGER  173 


Summer  Tanager :  Piranga  rubra. 

Male,  body  and  tail  rose-red ;  wings  brownish.  Adult  female 
and  young,  upper  parts  greenish  yellow  ;  under  parts  yel- 
lowish. Length,  7£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  to  the 
Plains ;  breeds  from  Florida  to  southern  New  Jersey,  wander- 
ing casually  to  Nova  Scotia ;  winters  from  West  Indies  and 
Mexico  to  South  America. 

"In  at  least  the  southern  half  of  Illinois  the 
Summer  Redbird  is  an  abundant  species  in  dry 
upland  woods.  It  is  moreover  a  very  familiar 
species,  nesting  habitually  in  trees  along  the  road- 
side and  even  in  the  midst  of  towns.  For  this 
reason  it  is  much  more  frequently  seen  than  the 
Scarlet  Tanager.  .  .  .  Besides  being  a  more  abun- 
dant and  familiar  species,  its  notes  are  much 
louder.  The  ordinary  one  sounds  —  as  Wilson  ex- 
presses it,  cldcky-chucky-chuclc.  .  .  .  The  nest  is 
a  thin  and  shallow  but  very  firm  structure.  .  .  . 
The  eggs  are  usually  three  in  number,  and  are 
similar  in  color  and  markings  to  those  of  the 
Scarlet  Tanager,  but  somewhat  larger."  (Ridg- 
way.) 

These  two  birds  are  the  only  eastern  members 
of  the  family  in  North  America.  They  are  our 
most  brilliant  birds,  and,  as  their  colors  might 
suggest,  belong  to  a  tropical  family.  The  two 
species  are  easily  distinguished  by  the  shade  of 
red. 


174  KEY   TO   TANAGERS 

Key  to  Adult  Spring  Male  Tanagers. 

Common  Characters.  —  Entire  body  red. 
1.  Bill,  wings,    and   tail   black  ;   body  bright 

scarlet.  Found  in  northern  woodlands.  Call, 

chip-churr p.  170.     SCARLET  TANAGER. 

1'.  Bill,  wings,  and  tail  not  black  ;  body  and  tail  rose-red  ; 

bill  and  wings  brownish.    Found  in  southern  woodlands. 

Call,  chicky-tucky-tuck    .     .  p.  173.    SUMMER  TANAGER. 

White-throated  Sparrow  :  Zonotrichia  albicollis. 
(See  Fig.  92,  p.  176.) 

Adults,  upper  parts  brown,  streaked  with  black  ;  chin  with  a 
squarish  white  patch ;  breast  gray ;  belly  whitish ;  central 
white  crown  stripe  narrower  than  inclosing  black  stripes. 
Young,  white  of  throat  duller ;  black  and  white  stripes  re- 
placed by  gray  and  brown.  Length,  about  Of  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  west  to 
the  Plains  ;  breeds  from  Montana,  northern  Michigan,  and 
occasionally  Massachusetts,  northward  to  Labrador ;  winters 
from  Massachusetts  to  Florida.  Accidental  on  Pacific  coast. 

Associated  with  the  crisp,  fresh  mornings  of 
early  spring  is  the  sound  of  the  clear,  ringing 
whistle  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow.  /,  I,pea- 
bod-y,  pea-bod-y  the  birds  call  so  loudly  that  the 
dogs  sometimes  look  up  in  the  evergreens  to  see 
who  is  whistling.  If  they  could  recognize  the 
whistler  they  would  see  an  attractive  sight,  for 
the  White-throat  is  a  bird  of  distinction.  He  is 
as  much  larger  than  the  Song  Sparrow  as  the  Song 
is  larger  than  the  Chipping  Sparrow.  (See  Fig. 
58,  p.  117,  and  Fig.  55,  p.  113.)  Like  the  Chippy, 


WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW  175 

he  has  a  plain  gray  breast,  but  in  addition  to  this 
has  a  handsome  mark  in  the  form  of  a  snow-white 
throat  patch.  (See  Fig.  92,  p.  176.)  Instead  of 
the  reddish  brown  cap  of  the  Chippy,  the  White- 
throat,  when  arrayed  in  his  best  has  a  handsome 
black  and  white  striped  crown,  but  in  a  flock  one 
often  sees  many  crowns  that  are  brown  and  dingy 
white  instead  of  black  and  white. 

Unlike  the  domestic  Chippy  and  Song  Spar- 
rows, the  White-throat  nests  in  the  north  or  in 
mountain  districts,  so  that,  while  his  whistle  may 
be  heard  by  Adirondack  and  White  Mountain 
tourists  during  the  summer,  it  is  only  a  semi-an- 
nual pleasure  to  most  of  us  in  the  United  States. 
In  this  way  we  know  the  handsomely  crowned 
birds  collectively  rather  than  individually,  for  on 
their  migrations  they  always  travel  in  flocks. 

As  they  go  about  in  fall  and  winter,  they  do  a 
great  deal  of  good  by  destroying  weed  seed,  such 
as  ragweed,  smart  weed,  and  pigweed.  In  sum- 
mer they  also  do  good  by  eating  ants,  weevils, 
currant  worms,  and  leaf-eating  beetles.  But  it 
is  hard  to  think  of  them  in  purely  economic  con- 
nection, they  are  so  associated  with  the  pleasures 
of  early  spring  and  early  autumn  when  the  gold- 
enrod  and  asters  brighten  the  dreamy  Indian 
Summer  days. 


176  WHITE-CEO WN ED  SPARROW 

White-crowned  Sparrow :  Zonotrichia  leucophrys. 

Adults,  back  brownish  gray ;  breast  clear  gray ;  crown  conspicu- 
ously striped  black  and  white,  three  middle  stripes  of  equal 
width.  Young,  similar,  but  crown  dull  gray  bordered  by 
brown.  Length,  about  6f  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeding  from  higher  mountain 
ranges  of  western  United  States,  Sierra  Nevada,  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  eastward,  north  of  the  Great  Lakes,  to  Labrador  ; 
in  winter,  over  whole  of  United  States,  and  south  into  Mexico. 
(Ridgway.) 

Thousands  of  White-crowns    may  be  seen    in 
the  Mississippi  valley,  but  they  are  rare  in  the 


FIG.  92.  FIG.  93. 

White-throated  Sparrow.  White-crowned  Sparrow. 

east.  Sometimes  one  of  the  distinguished  looking 
birds  will  be  discovered  in  a  flock  of  White- 
throats.  You  can  tell  him  from  his  cousins  at  a 
glance,  because  he  has  not  the  white  patch  under 
the  chin,  being  uniformly  gray  from  his  bill  to 
his  tail.  His  crown  serves  still  further  to  distin- 
guish him.  It  is  as  striking  as  a  soldier's  cap. 
Moreover,  he  attracts  attention  by  his  general 
bearing,  which  is  unmistakably  that  of  an  aristo- 
crat. His  song  has  much  greater  variety  of  note 


BROWN  THRASHER 


177 


than  the  White-throat's,  though  in  quality  the 
clear  whistle  of  the  White-throat  can  hardly  be 
surpassed. 

Mr.  Burroughs  is  enthusiastic  over  the  White- 
crown,  and  says  :  "  He  is  the  rarest  and  most 
beautiful  of  the  Sparrow  kind.  He  is  crowned  as 
some  hero  or  victor  in  the  games." 


FIG.  94. 

Brown  Thrasher :  Harporhynchus  rufus. 

Upper  parts  reddish  brown  ;  under  parts  white,  heavily  streaked 
with  black.  Length,  about  Hi  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  ;  breeds  from  the  Gulf  states  to  Manitoba, 
Maine,  and  Ontario  ;  winters  from  Virginia  southward. 

The  beginner  often  confuses  the  Cuckoo  and 
Thrasher,  for  when  seen  on  the  wing  both  appear 
to  be  long,  slender,  brown  birds  with  white  under 
parts  and  long  tails.  When  seen  from  in  front^ 


178  BROWN  THRASHER 

however,  they  may  be  distinguished  at  a  glance  ; 
for  the  breast  of  the  Thrasher  is  heavily  spotted, 
while  that  of  the  Cuckoo  is  pure  sheeny  white. 
(See  Fig.  83,  p.  161.)  The  backs  of  the  two  are 
also  dissimilar  when  seen  close  at  hand ;  for  the 
Thrasher's  is  reddish  brown,  while  the  Cuckoo's 
is  brownish  gray,  with  a  silky  greenish  gloss. 
The  tail  of  the  Thrasher  is  plain  brown  ;  that  of 
the  Cuckoo  marked  with  white  spots,  more  or  less 
prominent  according  to  the  species.  The  flight 
and  habits  of  the  two  birds  are  still  less  alike. 
The  Thrasher  has  the  tilting,  uneven  flight  of  the 
short-winged  Wrens,  to  whom  he  is  allied;  but 
the  Cuckoo,  when  he  has  to  cross  an  open  space, 
cuts  the  air  like  a  projectile  from  a  long-distance 
gun.  The  Cuckoo  goes  from  one  cover  to  another, 
where  he  hunts  silently  for  caterpillars,  only  occa- 
sionally giving  vent  to  his  mysterious  cuck-cuck- 
cuch  The  Thrasher,  on  the  other  hand,  goes 
flaunting  and  flapping  over  the  top  of  the  bushy 
tangle  where  he  lives,  alights  on  a  topmost  branch, 
and  dropping  his  tail  and  throwing  up  his  head, 
shouts  out  at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  The  Cuckoo 
is  mysterious  and  interesting,  meriting  the  grave 
attention  of  the  psychologist  and  economic  orni- 
thologist ;  but  the  Thrasher  is  just  an  outspoken, 
jolly  good  fellow  in  whom  we  take  a  personal  and 
affectionate  interest.  How  can  you  help  feeling 
flattered  when  he  sits  up  and  pours  out  his  rol- 
licking song  to  you  ?  And  such  a  song  as  it  is  ! 


BROWN   THRASHER  179 

Though  it  may  be  and  doubtless  is  rank  heresy 
to  say  so,  I  must  confess  that  I  prefer  it  to  that 
of  his  distinguished  cousin  the  Mockingbird ;  but 
we  all  need  champions. 

In  one  way  the  Thrasher  is  particularly  in  need 
of  friends.  Splendid  bird  that  he  is,  some  Jere- 
miahs inveigh  against  him  with  solemnly  wagging 
heads.  He  is  a  criminal  to  be  destroyed  off  the 
face  of  the  earth.  It  is  hard  to  believe  such 
evil  of  your  feathered  fellows,  but  —  he  has  been 
known  to  taste  both  grain  and  fruit !  What  con- 
siderations of  song  or  good  fellowship  can  weigh 
against  such  reprehensible  conduct  ?  But  hold  ! 
granting  that  it  is  a  sin  to  eat  a  strawberry,  —  if 
you  happen  to  be  clad  in  feathers,  —  let  us  look 
up  the  records  and  lay  bare  his  crimes  in  their 
full  enormity.  Taking  both  grain  and  fruit,  they 
amount  to  eleven  one  hundredths  of  his  food ! 
Moreover,  we  are  assured  that  the  slight  loss  this 
entails  is  more  than  compensated  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  an  equal  bulk  of  May  beetles,  which,  as 
pointed  out,  if  left  alive  would  not  only  have 
done  more  initial  harm  than  the  Thrashers,  but 
would  have  left  '  a  multitudinous  progeny '  to 
attack  the  next  year's  crop.  The  Thrasher  usu- 
ally works  in  brushy  places,  but  it  is  said  that 
"  he  probably  does  as  much  good  there  as  he 
would  in  the  garden,  for  the  swamps  and  groves 
are  no  doubt  breeding-grounds  for  many  insects 
that  migrate  thence  to  attack  the  farmer's  crops." 


180  BEOWN   THEASHEE 

The  thickets  where  the  Thrasher  is  usually 
seen  are  also  his  nesting  sites.  His  nest  is  a 
coarse,  bulky  affair  of  twigs,  rootlets,  and  leaves ; 
and  the  eggs  are  bluish  or  grayish  white,  mi- 
nutely and  evenly  dotted  with  brown.  At  the 
nest  the  bird  is  more  interesting  than  elsewhere. 
Audubon  has  watched  his  courtship,  and  says  that 
he  struts  before  the  female  with  his  tail  trailing 
on  the  ground.  Mr.  Torrey  calls  him  a  bird  of 
passion,  "  ecstatic  in  song,  furious  in  anger,  irre- 
sistibly pitiful  in  lamentation,"  and  exclaims, 
"  How  any  man  can  rob  a  Thrasher's  nest  with 
that  heart-broken  whistle  in  his  ears  is  more  than 
I  can  imagine."  Doctor  Brewer  gives  a  strik- 
ing instance  of  the  passionate  nature  of  the  bird, 
which  is  also  valuable  testimony  on  the  point 
sometimes  raised  as  to  whether  a  bird  has  intelli- 
gence to  recognize  the  difference  between  its  own 
eggs  and  those  of  others.  A  set  of  Robin's  eggs 
were  put  in  a  Thrasher's  nest  and  the  premises 
watched.  Presently  the  female  returned,  looked 
in  the  nest,  and  flew  off.  In  a  moment  she  was 
back  with  her  mate,  and  both  flew  at  the  nest  in 
a  rage.  They  actually  took  the  strange  eggs 
in  their  claws  and  dashed  them  on  the  ground, 
venting  their  anger  by  tossing  about  the  broken 
shells. 


CHE  WINK  181 


FIG.  95. 

Chewink ;  Towhee  :   Pipilo  erythrophthalmus. 

Adult  male,  head,  breast,  and  back  black ;  sides  chestnut ;  belly 
and  corners  of  tail  white.  Adult  female,  brown  replacing  the 
black.  Young,  in  first  plumage,  streaked.  Length,  about 
83-  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  the  lower  Mississippi  Valley  and  Georgia  northward  to 
Maine,  Ontario,  and  Manitoba ;  winters  from  Virginia  and 
southern  Illinois  to  the  Gulf. 

One  of  the  choicest  delights  of  the  book-lover 
is  to  know  his  authors  so  well  that  he  can  at  any 
moment  go  to  his  shelves  and  take  down  the  vol- 
ume that  corresponds  to  his  mood,  and  the  same 
thing  is  true  in  knowing  birds.  The  true  bird- 
lover  knows  his  birds  so  thoroughly  that  he  can 
choose  his  walks  with  the  certainty  of  finding  the 
friend  who  will  respond  to  his  thoughts.  When 
moved  by  the  gladness  of  spring,  he  will  turn  to 
the  daisy  fields  to  listen  to  the  joyful  medley 


182  CHE  WINK 

of  the  Bobolink  ;  when  in  thoughtful  mood,  he 
will  retire  to  the  green  shade  of  the  forest  to 
be  thrilled  and  uplifted  by  the  hymns  of  the 
Thrushes ;  when  tired  of  lawn  Sparrows  and  hun- 
gering for  the  wild,  free  side  of  nature,  he  will 
clear  the  fences  and  cut  across  lots  to  the  nearest 
old  juniper  pasture  or  brushy  thicket.  There  he 
will  find  the  prince  of  Bohemians,  the  Brown 
Thrasher,  and  if  he  listen  quietly,  may  hear  the 
scratching  of  the  Chewink  among  the  dead  leaves, 
and  presently  its  quaint,  simple  song,  as  the  un- 
suspecting bird  mounts  to  a  low  branch  to  sing. 
Though  totally  unlike  the  tempestuous  torrents 
of  the  Thrasher  in  range  and  delivery,  the  two 
songs  have  a  common  quality,  a  certain  wild  fla- 
vor that  goes  well  with  the  old,  neglected  pas- 
tures and  brushy  tangles,  and  is  as  grateful  to  the 
nature-lover  as  the  spring  taste  of  the  wild  sorrel 
or  ginger-root  dug  from  the  earth.  To  be  exact, 
the  Chewink  has  two  songs,  one  much  shorter 
than  the  other,  but  both  have  a  peculiar  quality. 
The  call  notes  are  even  more  characteristic,  a 
towhee  and  a  more  nasal  whank  or  chewink. 

Like  the  Thrasher,  the  Chewink  gets  his  food 
on  the  ground,  and  while  he  belongs  to  the  Finch 
and  Sparrow  family,  is  said  to  do  incalculable 
good  by  unearthing  wire  worms,  beetles,  and 
larvae  which  have  gone  into  winter  quarters. 
"  The  death  of  a  single  insect  at  this  time,  before 
it  has  had  an  opportunity  to  deposit  its  eggs,  is 


FIELD  SPARROW  183 

equivalent  to  the  destruction  of  a  host  later  in 
the  year,"  we  are  told.  The  Chewink  eats  some 
unusual  insects,  having  a  liking  for  both  hairy 
caterpillars  and  potato  bugs. 

From  its  habits  one  would  naturally  infer  that 
the  Towhee  nested  on  the  ground,  and  this  ground 
nest,  with  its  dead-leaf  walls  and  its  white  eggs 
dulled  by  their  uniform  brown  dotting,  corre- 
sponds so  closely  with  the  surroundings  and  the 
lights  and  shades  of  the  woods,  that  one  may  hunt 
a  long  time  for  the  pleasure  of  watching  the  pro- 
ceedings of  a  family  of  nestlings  and  their  anx- 
ious guardians. 

Field  Sparrow :   Spizella  pusilla. 

Bill  reddish  ;  crown  and  back  reddish  brown  ;  breast  buffy,  un- 
spotted. Length,  about  5|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Kansas,  southern  Illinois,  and  South  Carolina  to  Quebec 
and  Manitoba ;  winters  from  Illinois  and  Virginia  southward. 

There  is  a  third  bird  which  frequents  the  haunts 
of  the  Thrasher  and  Chewink,  which  to  me  seems 
to  surpass  them  both  in  the  wild  flavor  of  its 
song.  Mr.  Burroughs  describes  it  as  being  "  ut- 
tered at  first  high  and  leisurely,  but  running  very 
rapidly  toward  the  close,  which  is  low  and  soft," 
and  he  gives  it  as  fe-o,  fe-o,  fe-o,  few,  few,  few, 
fee,  fee,  fee.  Though  perfectly  unpretentious  and 
simple  as  far  as  note  goes,  there  is  a  certain  sad, 
ringing  quality  to  the  song  which  makes  it  haunt 


184 


FIELD  SPAEEOW 


the  memory  ;  and  in  a  country  where  it  is  seldom 
heard,  it  is  a  song  that  I  personally  would  walk 
miles  to  hear.  While  the  feo  song  is  the  con- 
ventional one  of  the  Field  Sparrow,  it  is  said  to 
have  many  variations.  In  a  field  in  Maryland 
I  have  heard  the  usual  song  on  one  side  and  a 
totally  different  one  on  the  other,  one  curiously 

like  a  tune,  with  three 
definite  sets  of  four 
notes  each,  or  rather 
the  same  note  repeated 
four  times,  the  three 
sets  given  in  descend- 
ing scale,  and  the  tune 
completed  by  a  fourth 
set  of  varied  notes 
thrown  up  higher  on 
the  scale. 

Living  in  fields,  the 
Field  Sparrow  does 
good  by  destroying 
the  seeds  of  amaranth, 
chickweed,  pigweed, 
knotgrass,  and  fox- 
tail, besides  eating  a 
large  number  of  grass- 
hoppers, injurious  cat- 
erpillars, leaf -eating  beetles,  and  the  saw-fly  that 
produces  the  currant  worm.  Its  nest  is  of  coarse 
grasses  and  rootlets  put  near  the  ground.  The 


FIG.  96. 

Amaranth,  eaten  by  Field 
Sparrow. 


WHIP-POOR-WILL  185 

eggs  are  white  or  bluish  white,  sometimes  marked 
around  the  larger  end,  at  others  uniformly  dotted 
with  light  brown  spots.  The  bird  itself  can  al- 
ways be  distinguished  by  its  reddish  brown  color 
and  its  reddish  bill,  for  its  cousin  the  Chippy, 
whom  it  resembles  in  general,  has  a  clear  gray 
breast  and  a  black  bill. 


Whip-poor-will :  Antrostomus  vociferus. 
(See  Fig.  98,  p.  188.) 

Male,  wood-brown,  lighter  below;  patch  on  throat  and  outer 
tail  feathers  white.  Female,  similar,  but  throat  buffy  in- 
stead of  white,  and  no  white  on  tail.  Length,  9|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  north 
to  New  Brunswick  and  Manitoba ;  winters  from  Florida  and 
the  lower  Mississippi  valley  southward. 

The  evening  note  of  the  Whip-poor-will  is  well 
known,  but  in  the  daytime  the  bird  is  seldom 
seen.  When  surprised  on  a  branch  it  looks  like 
a  short  stick  of  wood,  for  it  sits  low  and  horizon- 
tally ;  and  the  white  line  of  its  throat  absolutely 
destroys  the  head  form  (see  Fig.  98,  p.  188),  so 
that  one  has  to  puzzle  to  make  out  that  it  is  a 
head,  though  knowing  that  it  is  attached  to  the 
body  of  a  bird.  If  one  is  familiar  with  the  twi- 
light hunting-grounds  of  the  Whip-poor-will,  many 
interesting  things  may  be  observed.  Major  Ben- 
dire  gives  a  delightful  account  of  what  he  has  seen 
at  such  times.  He  says  that,  when  picking  up  its 
food  from  the  roads  which  it  frequents  for  dust- 


186  WHIP-POOR-WILL 

baths  to  free  itself  from  vermin,  its  movements  on 
the  ground  are  awkward,  its  feet  being  weak  and 
short ;  but  its  aerial  movements  are  most  grace- 
ful. He  says  :  "  I  have  seen  one  touch  the  back 
of  its  wings  together  as  it  sw.ept  by  me,  arrest  its 
noiseless  flight  instantly,  drop  to  the  ground  al- 
most perpendicularly,  pick  up  some  insect,  and 
dash  away  as  suddenly  as  it  halted.  At  such 
times  it  occasionally  utters  a  low,  purring  or 
grunting  noise  like  '  dtick-clack,'  and  another 
sounding  like  4  zue-see,  zue-see,'  which  cannot  be 
heard  unless  one  is  close  by."  When  the  Major 
was  in  northern  New  York  a  pair  of  the  birds 
were  in  the  habit  of  coming  about  the  house 
where  he  was  staying,  and  one  evening,  by  watch- 
ing them  from  inside  a  building,  he  was  fortu- 
nate enough  to  see  their  curious  love-making.  "  I 
saw  one  of  the  birds  waddling  about  in  a  very 
excited  manner,"  he  tells  us.  "  Its  head  appeared 
to  be  all  mouth,  and  its  notes  were  uttered  so 
rapidly  that,  close  as  I  was  to  the  bird,  they 
sounded  like  one  long,  continuous  roll.  A  few 
seconds  after  his  first  effort  (it  was  the  male) 
he  was  joined  by  his  mate,  and  she  at  once  com- 
menced to  respond  with  a  peculiar,  low,  buzzing 
or  grunting  note,  like  '  gaw-gaw-gaw,'  undoubt- 
edly a  note  of  approval  or  endearment.  This 
evidently  cost  her  considerable  effort ;  her  head 
almost  touched  the  ground  while  uttering  it,  her 
plumage  was  relaxed,  and  her  whole  body  seemed 


WHIP-POOR-WILL  187 

to  be  in  a  violent  tremble.  The  male  in  the 
mean  time  had  sidled  up  to  her  and  touched  her 
bill  with  his,  which  made  her  move  slightly  to  one 
side :  .  .  .  the  female  acted  as  timid  and  bashful 
as  many  young  maidens  would  when  receiving 
the  first  declarations  of  their  would-be  lovers, 
while  the  lowering  of  her  head  might  easily  be 
interpreted  as  being  done  to  hide  her  blushes." 

The  Whip-poor-will  lays  its  eggs  on  the  ground 
or  leaves.  The  mother  bird  shows  great  distress 
if  disturbed  when  young  are  in  the  nest.  A  cor- 
respondent of  Major  Bendire's  says  that  she 
"  flies  or  rather  flops  about  the  intruder  in  a  circle, 
often  alighting  to  tumble  about  upon  the  ground 
among  the  leaves,  spreading  the  tail  and  opening 
the  mouth,  at  the  same  time  emitting  a  sound 
something  like  the  cry  or  whine  of  a  very  young 
puppy,  and  also  other  guttural,  uncouth  sounds, 
wholly  indescribable,  the  young  themselves,  in 
their  scanty  dress  of  dark  yellow  fuzz,  apparently 
all  mouth,  adding  to  the  general  effect."  Besides 
being  very  interesting  birds,  Doctor  Fisher  says 
that  they  are  most  useful,  eating  ants,  grasshop- 
pers, June  bugs,  and  potato  bugs. 


188 


NIGHTHAWK 


Nighthawk  :   Chordeiles  virginianus. 

Male,  upper  parts  blackish,  marked  with  brown  ;  under  parts 
whitish,  barred  with  black ;  throat  white ;  ivings  and  tail  with 
conspicuous  white  bands.  Female,  no  white  on  tail,  and  throat 
buffy.  Length,  10  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  Labrador  ;  winters  in  South  America. 

Like  the  Whip-poor-will,  the  Nighthawk  is  cre- 
puscular, flying  mainly 
in  the  dusky  margins  of 
the  day.  The  two  birds 
look  much  alike,  but  the 
Nighthawk  has  a  white 
throat  instead  of  a  nar- 
row white  line  on  a  black 
throat,  and  in  the  sky 
shows  white  bands  on  its 
crescent-like  wings. 
On  warm  summer  evenings  you  may  often  see 

one  or  more  coursing  over  the  meadows,  getting 

their  food  on  the  wing. 

They  live  largely    on 

flies,  mosquitoes,  grass- 
hoppers, and  crickets ; 

and  one  bird  was  found 

with  573  large-winged 

ants  in  its  stomach,  in 

addition  to  parts  of  72 

small-winged  ants  and  FIG.  98. 

16    grasshoppers.      A  Whip-poor-will. 


FIG.  97. 
Nighthawk. 


NIGHTHAWK  189 

flock  of  several  thousand  Nighthawks  may  some- 
times be  seen  in  the  sky  in  the  fall  migrations, 
and  if  they  all  are  blessed  with  such  healthy  ap- 
petites it  can  be  imagined  how  effectively  they 


FIG.  99. 
Wing  of  Nighthawk. 

thin  the  ranks  of  the  unhappy  insects  that  lie  in 
their  path. 

The  aerial  evolutions  of  the  Nighthawk  are  re- 
markable. It  soars  and  it  flaps,  it  twists  and  it 
turns,  it  mounts  perpendicularly  into  the  air  — 
all  with  graceful  ease  ;  and  in  the  nesting  season 
its  performances  are  a  seven  days'  wonder  for  all 
beholders.  When  high  in  air  it  shoots  down 
almost  to  -the  earth,  and  then,  turning  abruptly, 
ascends  to  the  same  heights.  In  diving,  the  air 
is  forced  through  its  wings,  making  a  booming 
sound.  Its  usual  note  is  a  sharp  eek  or  peent, 
and  may  be  heard  of  an  evening  in  Washington, 
New  York,  or  other  of  the  cities,  for  the  birds 
find  good  nesting-places  on  the  flat  roofs  of  city 
houses. 

The  Nighthawk  and  Whip-poor-will  belong  to 
the  same  family,  and  their  tints  suggest  the 


190  GOATSUCKEBS,   SWIFTS,   ETC. 

Grouse,  wood-colors  being  the  most  effective  dis- 
guise for  birds  that  nest  on  the  ground.  As  a 
family  the  Goatsuckers  are 
perhaps  more  crepuscular 

than  any  birds  except  Owls. 
FIG.  100.  They  are  in  the  game  order 

Slender  wing  of  Hum-  •  ,1      ,r      o     •  «•,       /•          -r»i    ^ 

.    . .  ,  with   the  Swifts  (see  Plate 

mingbird. 

II.  p.  24),  and  like  them  have 

peculiarly  small  bills  and  wide,  gaping  throats, 
whose  doors  they  throw  wide  open  as,  like  de- 
vouring monsters, 
they    mow     their 
way     through      a 
cloud    of   insects. 
The      Whip-poor- 
FlG- 101-  wills,  in    addition 

Short,  thick  wing  of  Sparrow.  to  ^^   enormous 

mouths,  have  long,  stiff  bristles  at  the  base  of 
the  bill,  that  may  be  effective  aids  in  holding 
squirming  June  bugs  and  such  uneasy  prey. 


FIG.  102. 
Long,  slender  wing  of  Swallow. 

The  Swallows  are  our  only  birds  that  approach 
the  Goatsuckers  and  Swifts  in  form  of  bill  and 


GOATSUCKERS,   SWIFTS,   ETC. 


191 


FIG.  103. 
Strong  foot  of 
Sparrow. 


in  feeding  habits.     (See  Fig.  120,  p.  193  and  113, 
p.  192.) 

Though  the  Hummingbird  has  branched  off 
so  far  from  the  Swifts  and  Goat- 
suckers in  form  of  bill  (see  Figs. 
9  and  10,  p.  26),  it  resembles 
them  in  its  extreme  development 
of  wing  (Figs.  19,  p.  45,  99,  p. 
189,  and  100,  p.  190),  and  the 
undeveloped  character  of  its  feet 
(see  Figs.  7,  p.  25,  and  104,  p. 
191),  reminding  us  again  of  the 
dissimilarity  of  the  whole  order 
to  the  short-winged,  strong- 
footed  Grouse,  Sparrows  (Figs. 
101,  p.  190,  and  103,  p.  191), 
Wrens,  and  Thrashers. 

We  have  now  a  number  of  new  types  of  bill  to 
add  to  those  of  the  Hummingbird,  Quail,  Dove, 
Flycatcher,  Crow,  and  Oriole  types  already  noticed, 
for  we  have  the  sword  of  the 
Kingfisher,   the  fly  -  traps   of 
the  Goatsucker  and  Swallow, 
the  seed-crackers  of  the  Gros- 
beak and  Sparrow,  the  curious 
nippers  of  the  Crossbill,  and 
the  heavy  drill  of  the  Wood- 
pecker,  each  in  turn  especially  adapted   to  the 
birds'  food  habits. 


FIG.  104. 

Weak  foot  of 

Nighthawk. 


FIG.  105. 
Footprint  of  Crow. 


192 


GOATSUCKEES,   SWIFTS,   ETC. 


FIG.  106. 
Bill  of  Dove. 


O 


FIG.  109. 
Upper  side  of 
bill  of  Vireo. 


FIG.  107. 
Bill  of  Flycatcher. 


FIG.  110. 
Upper  side 

of  bill  of 
Flycatcher. 


O 


FIG.  108. 
Bill  of  Woodpecker. 


FIG.  114. 
Bill  of  Kingfisher. 


FIG.  111. 
Bill  of  Grouse. 


FIG.  112. 
Bill  of  Oriole. 


FIG.  113. 
Bill  of  Goatsucker. 


KEY  TO  GOATSUCKERS,   SWIFTS,   ETC.      193 


FIG.  115.  FIG.  118.  FIG.  119. 

Bill  of  Chickadee.      Bill  of  Hummingbird.       Bill  of  Sparrow. 


FIG.  116. 
Bill  of  Crossbill. 


FIG.  120. 
Bill  of  Swallow. 


FIG.  117. 
Bill  of  Grosbeak. 


FIG.  121. 
Bill  of  Crow  Blackbird. 


Key  to  Adult  Male  Goatsuckers,   Swifts,  and 
Hummingbirds. 

1.  Bill  long,  with  little  gape.  Upper  parts  green  ; 
throat  metallic  red. 

p.  1.     RUBY-THROATED  HUMMINGBIRD. 
1'.  Bill  short,  with  wide  gape. 

2.  Small  ;  needle-like  spines  on  end  of  tail.     Un- 
marked,  sooty  brown.     Diurnal.    Nests  in  chim- 

ueys p.  23.    CHIMNEY  SWIFT. 

2'.  Large  ;  no  spines  on  end  of  tail.     Mottled  wood-brown. 

Crepuscular.     Nests  on  the  ground. 

3.  White  spot  on  wing  ;  tail  deeply  forked,  with  white 
crescent.  Seen  hunting  for  insects  high  in  air.  Call, 

peent p.  188.    NIGHTHAWK. 

3'.  No  white  spot  on  wing  ;  tail  rounded  ;  outer  tail  fea- 
thers mostly  white.  Seen  hunting  nearer  the  ground. 
Call,  Whip-poor-will  .  .  p.  185.  WHIP-POOR-WILL. 


194  TEEE  SWALLOW 


Tree   Swallow;  White-bellied   Swallow:  Tachy- 
cineta  bicolor. 

Adults,  upper  parts  steel-blue  or  steel-green  ;  under  parts  pure 
white,  unmarked.  Young,  upper  parts  brownish  gray; 
under  parts  white.  Length,  about  6  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  north  to  Labra- 
dor and  Alaska ;  breeds  locally  throughout  its  range  ;  winters 
from  South  Carolina  and  the  Gulf  states  southward. 

The  Tree  Swallow  may  be  known  by  its  shin- 
ing white  breast.  It  has  not  yet  entirely  given 
over  the  habits  of  its  an- 
cestors, and  still  nests 
largely  in  hollow  trees, 
though  in  some  places  it 
will  accept  proffers  of 
nesting-boxes.  When  it 
does  accept  man's  hospi- 
tality it  does  so  without 
reserve,  even  taking  up  its 

FIG.  122.  residence  in  candle-boxes 

Tree  Swallow.  ,         ,11- 

prepared  only  by  having 

a  hole  made  in  one  end,  sometimes  almost  taking 
from  the  hand  the  feathers  that  are  offered  for 
its  nest.  It  builds  a  soft  nest  of  leaves  and  hay, 
lined  with  down  and  feathers.  The  eggs  are  pure 
white,  unspotted. 

Unlike  most  Swallows,  the  Trees  vary  their 
insect  diet  with  berries,  being  especially  fond  of 
bay-berries. 

They  form  large  roosts,  and  begin  to  gather  in 


ROUGH-WINGED  SWALLOW  195 

the  marshes  near  New  York  by  the  first  of  July. 
Mr.  Chapman  says  that  they  sail  about  in  circles 
more -than  other  Swallows. 

Rough-winged  Swallow  :  Stelgidopteryx  serripennis. 

Sooty  brown  above  ;  breast  uniform  light  sooty.  Length,  5j 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;  breeds  as  far 
north  as  British  Columbia,  Minnesota,  and  Connecticut ;  win- 
ters in  the  tropics. 

The  Rough-winged  Swallow  gets  its  name  from 
the  small,  recurved  booklets  set  like  the  teeth  of  a 
saw  along  the  edge  of 
the  outside  feathers  of 
the  wing  in  the  male. 
It  may  be  mistaken 
for  the  Bank  Swallow, 
unless  it  is  remembered 
that  the  Bank  Swallow 
has  a  dark  band  across 
the  breast  (Fig.  24,  p.  FJG 

55).  The  nesting  hab-  Rough-winged  Swallow, 
its  of  the  two  also  differ. 
The  Rough-winged  does  not  build  in  colonies  like 
the  Bank,  but  usually  nests  in  isolated  pairs  in 
holes  in  sand-banks,  stone  ruins,  culverts,  and 
abutments.  Near  Washington,  in  the  stone  walls 
of  the  canal,  it  is  particularly  abundant.  When 
made  in  sand,  the  entrance  to  the  burrow  is  said 
to  be  round  rather  than  elliptical,  as  the  Bank 
Swallow's  is,  and  the  burrow  itself  is  there  gen- 


196  KEY  TO  SWALLOWS 

erally  a  deserted  Kingfisher  hole  or  other  suitable 
cavity.  An  interesting  article  on  the  Rough- 
winged's  nesting  habits,  by  Walter  Van  Fleet,  is 
to  be  found  in  the  4  Bulletin  of  the  Nuttall  Orni- 
thological Club,'  vol.  i.  No.  i.  p.  9. 

Looking  back  over  the  Swallows  we  have 
spoken  of,  it  becomes  an  easy  matter  to  distin- 
guish them.  The  Barn  is  known  by  its  long 
forked  tail  (see  Plate  IV.  p.  50)  ;  the  Cliff  or 
Eave  by  its  light,  buffy  rump  and  its  gourd- 
shaped  nest  (see  Fig.  22,  p.  52) ;  the  Purple 
Martin  by  its  uniformly  blue-black  body ;  the 
Tree  or  White-bellied  by  its  shining  white  breast 
(see  Fig.  122,  p.  194)  ;  the  Bank  by  the  dark 
band  across  its  breast  (see  Fig.  24,  p.  55)  ;  and 
the  Rough-wing  by  its  sooty  back  and  lack  of 
distinguishing  breast-marks. 

Key  to  Adult  Male  Swallows. 

Common  Characters.  —  Birds  of  the  air,  which  catch  their 
insect  prey  on  the  wing  in  their 
widely  gaping  bills. 
1.  Tail  conspicuously  forked.    Upper 
parts  steel-blue;  under  parts  choco- 
late.    Beats  over  meadows  for  in- 
sects. 

p.  49.    BARN  SWALLOW. 

V.  Tail  not  conspicuously  forked. 
2.  Back  with  metallic  lustre. 
3.  Under  parts  shining  blue-black. 

p.  48.     PURPLE  MARTIN. 


WINTER    WEEN  197 

3'.  Under  parts  not  shining  blue-black. 
4.  Under  parts  pure  white. 

p.  194.  WHITE-BELLIED  SWALLOW. 


4'.  Under    parts    washed   with    brownish, 

rump  light p.  52.     EAVE  SWALLOW. 


2'.  Back  without  metallic  lustre. 
5.  Dark  band  across  breast    .     p.  54.     BANK  SWALLOW. 


5'.  No  distinct  baud  across  breast. 

p.  195.    ROUGH-WINGED  SWALLOW. 

Winter  Wren  :  Troglodytes  hiemalis. 

Upper  parts  reddish  brown,  finely  barred  ;  under  parts  washed 
with  brownish.  Tail  very  short,  carried  over  back.  Length, 
about  4  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  the  northern  states  northward,  and  southward  along1  the 
higher  Alleghanies  to  North  Carolina ;  winters  from  Massa- 
chusetts and  Illinois  to  Florida. 

During  the  migrations  this  mite  of  a  Wren  may 
be  met  almost  anywhere.  Sometimes  it  surprises 
you  by  bobbing  up  from  a  pile  of  boards  with 
its  bit  of  a  tail  cocked  over  its  back;  again  it 
peers  out  from  a  goldenrod  thicket,  or  faces 


198  WINTER    WEEN 

you  on  top  of  a  stump  in  the  woods.  It  is  such 
a  friendly,  jolly  little  bird  that  you  are  won  by 
its  confidence  ;  but  when  you  come  to  hear  it  sing, 
you  are  stirred  by  deeper  emotions.  The  song  is 
a  marvel  from  such  a  little  bird, 
for  it  is  loud,  rich,  and  melo- 
dious. 

Along  the  banks  of  the  Hud- 
son, Doctor  Mearns  has  found 

the  Wrens  running  about  under 
FIG.  124.  tlie    ice    when    the   water    had 

Winter  Wren.  . 

settled  away,  "creeping  into 
every  nook  and  crevice  in  search  of  food,  some- 
times remaining  out  of  sight  for  many  minutes 
together,"  for  their  food  is  well  hidden,  insects 
and  larvae  being  the  chief  of  their  diet. 

The  Wrens  nest  mainly  in  the  northern  forests, 
so  may  be  seen  and  heard  by  favored  Adirondack 
tourists.  Their  nest  is  an  interesting  mossy  one 
lined  with  feathers,  those  of  the  Ruffed  Grouse 
among  the  number,  Mr.  Burroughs  tells  us.  Their 
eggs  are  white,  dotted  with  reddish  brown,  and 
the  nestlings  that  come  out  of  them  become  be- 
witching, bobby  little  scraps. 


CAROLINA   WEEN  199 

Carolina  Wren  :  Thryothorus  ludovidanus. 

Upper  parts  reddish  brown ;  under  parts  buffy ;  wings  and  tail 
barred  with  black  ;  a  conspicuous  white  line  over  the  »ye.  Length, 
5£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  southern  Iowa,  northern  Illinois,  and 
southern  Connecticut ;  resident,  except  at  the  northern  limit 
of  its  range. 

On  the  wooded  hills  of  the  National  Zoological 
Park  at  Washington,  there  are  three  birds  whose 
songs  perplex  the  brains 
of  the  beginner  by  their 
similarity  —  the  Cardinal, 
Crested  Titmouse,  and 
Carolina  Wren.  Each  of 
the  birds,  however,  has  one 

song  that  is  distinct  and 

•i  •     j        XT.  Fl<*.  125. 

easily      recognized  —  the 

J  __   _  .    ^  Carolina  Wren. 

two-syllabled  pe-to  of  the 

Titmouse ;  the  three-syllabled  tea-Jcet-tle  of  the 
Wren ;  and  the  smooth,  one-syllabled,  long-drawn 
cue  or  quoit  of  the  Cardinal.  The  Cardinal's, 
though  one-syllabled,  is  often  repeated  rapidly  as 
much  as  eleven  times.  The  resemblance  of  the 
three  songs  is  not  fancied.  The  Wren  is  known 
as  the  Mocking  Wren,  and  is  supposed  to  delib- 
erately mimic  the  Titmouse,  and  the  Cardinal  is 
also  supposed  to  imitate  its  fellows ;  so  it  is  well 
to  listen  carefully  before  naming  the  songsters, 
unless  they  are  singing  where  you  can  see  their 


200  CAROLINA   WEEN 

bills  move  as  the  sound  pours  out.  Indeed,  this 
is  a  wise  precaution  to  observe  wherever  there  is 
any  doubt,  for  there  is  sometimes  more  than  one 
bird  in  a  tree  !  The  Cardinal  and  Titmouse  begin 
to  sing  in  February,  but  the  Wren  sings  through- 
out the  year,  except  when  moulting,  even  in  the 
stormiest  and  coldest  weather,  for  he  is  a  brave- 
spirited  little  fellow. 

Though  he  sings  so  freely,  the  Carolina  is  not 
always  easily  seen.  He  looks  over  at  you  quite 
frankly  from  the  opposite  bank  of  a  stream,  but 
when  you  have  crossed  he  has  vanished. 

In  some  places  he  is  less  shy,  and  builds  with- 
out hesitation  in  nesting-boxes  provided  for  him. 
Mr.  Oberholser  records  an  interesting  case  in 
which  a  pair  built  inside  a  barn,  entering  through 
a  knothole.  Though  the  birds  were  disturbed 
at  visitors,  when  the  nest  was  taken  outside  the 
barn  and  put  on  the  ground  they  did  not  forsake 
their  young,  but  bravely  kept  on  feeding  them  as 
before.  When  left  to  provide  for  themselves,  the 
Carolinas  often  build  in  old  Woodpecker  holes. 
The  eggs  are  white,  marked  with  lavender. 


BEWICKS   WEEN  201 


Bewick's  Wren  :   Thryothorus  bewicJdi. 

Upper  parts  dark  brown ;  under  parts  grayish  ;  wings  and  tail 
barred  ;  outer  tail  feathers  black  ;  white  line  over  eye. 
Length,  5  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  ;  rare  and 
local  east  of  Alleghanies  and  north  of  40° ;  west  to  edge  of 
Great  Plains ;  winters  in  more  southern  districts  (Georgia  to 
eastern  Texas). 

In  southern  Illinois  Mr.  Ridgway  found  this 
the  common  Wren.  It  lived  around  the  houses, 
and  sang  its  fine,  clear  song  from  the  roofs.  Mr. 
Nehrling  describes  the  bird's  notes  as  "liquid, 
sweet,  and  finely  modulated."  He  says  that  in 
Texas  the  Wren  has  become  a  perfect  house-bird, 
frequenting  the  log-cabin  of  the  poor  settler  as 
well  as  the  villa  of  the  rich  merchant.  When 
neither  nesting-boxes  nor  natural  cavities  are  to 
be  found,  it  will  build  on  beams  in  log-houses  and 
stables,  in  smoke-houses  and  wood-sheds.  Mr. 
Nehrling  has  also  found  nests  in  stove-pipes  that 
lay  on  the  ground,  in  the  pocket  of  an  overcoat 
that  hung  on  the  piazza,  in  tool-boxes  and  book- 
cases in  inhabited  rooms.  The  nest  is  bulky,  and 
is  sometimes  arched  over,  with  the  entrance  on 
one  side.  The  eggs  are  white,  speckled  with 
brown. 


202  LONG-BILLED  MARSH  WEEN 

Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  :  Cistothorus  palustris. 
(Plate  X.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  Manitoba  and  Massachusetts  ;  winters 
from  the  Gulf  states,  and  locally  farther  north,  southward  to 
Mexico. 

When  woods  and  fields  have  lost  their  relish, 
spend  a  day  in  a  marsh  and  the  world  will  seem 
young  again.  The  expanse  of  the  great  level 
stretch,  '  its  range  and  its  sweep  '  —  a  dark  green 
sea  interrupted  only  by  its  narrow  winding  river, 
seemingly  bounded  only  by  the  horizon  where 
treetops  meet  the  small  round  clouds  bordering 
the  soft  June  heavens  —  both  the  expanse  and 
solitude  of  the  great  green  plain  under  the  sky 
are  infinitely  restful. 

But,  aside  from  this,  the  marsh  is  a  little  world 
apart,  offering  keen,  peculiar  pleasures  to  those 
who  know  nature  only  in  her  more  familiar  forms. 
As  you  wade  through  the  reeds,  the  long  blades 
make  pleasant  music  in  your  ears,  seething  as 
they  bow  before  you  and  rise  behind  you.  Even 
the  unexpected  plunge  into  deep  water  takes  its 
place  along  with  the  first  taste  of  sweet-flag  and 
the  moment  when  you  sight  the  blue  patch  of 
iris  down  the  marsh.  As  for  birds,  they  pervade 
the  margins  of  the  plain  and  give  it  life.  At  one 
moment  you  are  remonstrated  with  by  Maryland 
Yellow-throats,  small  yellow  birds  who  whip  in 
and  out  of  the  reeds,  peering  up  at  you  anxiously 


PLATE  X.  —  LONG-BILLED  MARSH  WREN 

Crown  dark  brown,  black  on  the  sides  ;  line  over  eye  white. 
Back  black,  streaked  with  white ;  wings  and  tail  barred ; 
under  parts  white ;  sides  marked  with  brownish.  Length 
about  5j  inches. 


LONG-BILLED  MAESH  WEEN  203 

to  make  out  if  you  would  really  harm  their  brood ; 
at  the  next  you  are  encircled  by  excited  Red- 
wings, who  fancy  their  fledglings  in  danger ;  and 
then,  overhead,  the  Bobolinks,  absorbed  in  their 
own  happiness, 

"...  meet  and  frolic  in  the  air 
Half  prattling1  and  half  singing." 

But  however  much  you  are  prepared  for  it  by 
the  other  members  of  the  choir,  the  first  outburst 
of  the  Marsh  Wrens  is  almost  paralyzing.  You 
feel  as  if  you  had  entered  a  factory  with  machines 
clattering  on  all  sides.  Perching  atilt  of  the 
reeds,  with  tails  over  their  backs,  the  excited 
little  music-boxes  run  on  chattering  and  scolding 
almost  in  your  very  face,  diving  out  of  sight  in 
the  cat-tails  only  to  reappear  near  your  hand  as 
you  search  for  their  nests. 

Search  for  their  nests?  Yes,  but  only  with 
gentle  thoughts.  The  stilt-houses  of  these  little 
lake-dwellers  surely  merit  the  attention  of  orni- 
thological tourists.  As  you  examine  the  round 
green  balls  of  nests  high  up  on  the  reed-stalks, 
what  marvelous  workmen  the  little  builders  seem ! 
They  bend  down  the  tips  of  the  long  blades  and 
weave  them  in  together  as  if  basket-making  were 
an  easy  matter  to  them.  Difficult  work  it  seems 
to  us  to  be  done  for  the  pure  joy  of  doing,  but 
nest  after  nest  is  made  around  the  one  which  is 
actually  to  hold  the  chocolate  eggs.  One  covets 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  Wrens  at  work  on 


204  WEENS  AND   THRASHERS 

these  stilt-houses,  and  the  added  pleasure  of  see- 
ing them  bring  out  a  brood  of  chattering  brown 
mites  upon  the  world  of  marsh.  If  all  their  nine 
eggs  hatch,  surely  they  will  be  kept  busy  hunting 
food  for  the  hungry  little  folk !  But  they  are 
quite  equal  to  the  task.  Along  the  southern 
coasts  where  the  rice  grows,  they  take  the  oppor- 
tunity to  pick  up  the  destructive  weevils  that 
feed  upon  it,  and  wherever  they  are  they  busy 
themselves  hunting  out  the  small  worms  of  the 
earth  that  cumber  the  ground  ;  for  that  is  a  trait 
of  the  Wren  family. 

This  particular  Wren  will  never  be  mistaken 
for  any  of  his  kin,  for  the  black  diamond  on  his 
back  labels  him  as  well  as  if  he  were  marked 
with  indelible  ink.  The  rest  of  the  family  stand 
pretty  much  by  their  own  colors,  too.  The  Caro- 
lina and  Winter  Wrens  are  mainly  birds  of  the 
woods  —  the  Carolina  of  the  south,  the  Winter 
of  the  north.  The  Carolina  Wren  has  a  heavy 
white  line  over  the  eye  ;  the  Winter  Wren  lacks 
this,  but  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  abbreviated 
tail,  bent  at  an  angle  over  its  back.  The  House 
Wren  and  Bewick's  are  more  similar  in  habit, 
being  familiar  door-yard  birds  ;  but  Bewick's,  the 
more  southern  of  the  two,  has  longer  wings  and 
tail,  and  a  diagnostic  white  line  over  the  eye. 

As  a  family  (see  Figs.  126-132,  p.  207)  the 
Wrens  belong  with  the  three  songful  cousins, 
the  Catbird,  Thrasher,  and  Mockingbird,  and  the 


KEY  TO   THRASHERS,    WRENS,   ETC.      205 

voices  of  the  wrenkins  form  no  mean  part  of 
the  family  chorus.  They  seem  to  live  to  sing, 
and  sing  to  live.  To  the  passer-by  it  would  ap- 
pear the  most  important  part  of  their  business 
in  life. 

Most  of  the  Wren  and  Thrasher  family  wear 
brown,  but  some  wear  gray.  They  all  match  well 
with  the  earth  and  bushes  they  frequent.  As 
they  have  short,  round  wings  (see  Fig.  18,  p.  45), 
they  choose  to  migrate  by  night,  when  the  two 
bird-catching  Hawks  are  soundly  slumbering. 

Key  to  Thrashers,  Wrens,  etc. 

1.  Back  gray. 

2.  Under  parts  whitish  ;  crown  gray  ;   outer  tail  feathers 
white p.  63.     MOCKINGBIRD. 

2'.  Under  parts  slate-gray  ;  crown  and  tail  black. 

p.  6.    CATBIRD. 

1'.  Back  brown. 

3.  Large.    Wings  and  tail  not  barred  ;  upper  parts  reddish 
brown  ;  under  parts  white,  streaked  with  black.  Found 
in  thickets p.  177.     BROWN  THRASHER. 

3'.  Small  ;  wings  and  tail  barred. 
4.  No  white  line  over  eye. 

5.  Under  parts  brownish  ;  tail  very  short,  usually  held 
over  back.     Nests  in  northern  forests. 

p.  197.     WINTER  WREN. 

5'.  Under   parts  whitish  ;  tail  of  medium  length,   not 
held  over  back.     Nests  commonly  about  houses. 

p.  44.    HOUSE  WREN. 


206      KEY  TO   THRASHERS,    WRENS,   ETC. 

4'.  White  line  over  eye. 
6.  Back  with  black  patch.     Found  in  marshes. 

p.  202.     LONG-BILLED  MARSH  WREN. 

6'.  Back  without  black  patch. 

7.  Upper  parts  reddish  brown  ;  under  parts  buffy. 
Commonest  song,  a  three-syllabled  tea-ket-tle,  tea- 
ket-ile p.  199.  CAROLINA  WREN. 

7'.  Upper  parts  dark  brown  ;  under  parts  whitish. 
Found  west  of  Alleghanies. 

p.  201.    BEWICK'S  WREN. 


WEEN  AND   THRASHER  FAMILY 


FIG.  126. 
Brown  Thrasher 


FIG.  127. 
Carolina  Wren. 


FIG.  130. 
House  Wren. 


FIG.  131. 
Marsh  Wren. 


FIG.  128. 
Mockingbird. 


FIG.  132. 
Catbird. 


MEMBERS    OF   WREN    AND   THRASHER   FAMILY. 


208        YELLOW-BELLIED   WOODPECKEE 

Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker ;   Sapsucker  : 

Sphyrapicus  varius. 

(Plate  XI.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  Massachusetts  northward,  and  winters  from  Virginia  to 
Central  America. 

Nuthatches  and  Downy  Woodpeckers  are  often 
called  Sapsuckers,  but  the  Yellow-bellied  Wood- 
pecker, the  one  with  the  red  crown  and  throat,  is 
the  only  bird  that  deserves  the  name. 

The  Sapsucker  has  the  habit  of  drilling  holes 
in  the  bark  of  trees,  and,  as  his  name  indicates, 
sucks  the  sap  that  exudes  from  the  tree.  But 
this  is  not  all,  nor  does  it  doom  him  to  disfavor. 
Now  and  then  an  individual  Sapsucker  may  gir- 
dle and  kill  an  ornamental  birch  on  a  lawn ;  but 
for  one  which  does  that,  numbers  are  at  work 
destroying  the  insects  that  gather  at  the  sap  on 
the  hardy  forest  trees  which  the  Woodpecker  will 
not  harm.  An  observer  of  his  performance  says : 
"  As  the  sap  exudes  from  the  newly-made  punc- 
tures, thousands  of  flies,  yellow  jackets,  and  other 
insects  congregate  about  the  place,  till  the  hum 
of  their  wings  suggests  a  swarm  of  bees.  If  now 
the  tree  be  watched,  the  Woodpecker  will  soon 
be  seen  to  return  and  alight  over  the  part  of  the 
girdle  which  he  has  most  recently  punctured. 
Here  he  remains  with  motionless  body  and  feeds 
upon  the  choicest  species  from  a  host  of  insects 
within  easy  reach." 


'-'•L;l!nr  €C  e'#\'d-fX<VliJM 


PLATE  XL  —  SAPSUCKER 


Adult  male,   crown  and  throat  deep  red  ;  breast  black  ;   belly 

yellow  ;  back  black  marked  with  white  and  yellow.     Adult 

female,  similar,  but  throat  white  and  crown  sometimes  black. 

Young,  crown  dull  blackish  ;  breast  brownish  ;  throat  whitish. 

Length,  about  8|  inches. 


YELLOW-BELLIED    WOODPECKER        209 

Some  Sapsuckers  have  been  experimented  with 
to  find  out  if  they  could  live  principally  on  syrup, 
but  in  each  instance  have  died  from  the  diet. 
Stomach  examinations  bear  out  this  testimony. 
The  Sapsucker  is  largely  an  insect-eater.  He 
ranks  next  to  the  Flicker  as  an  ant-eater,  36  per 
cent,  of  his  solid  food  consisting  of  ants.  He 
also  destroys  wasps,  beetles,  bugs,  flies,  grasshop- 
pers, and  crickets.  He  eats  more  flies  than  any 
other  Woodpecker,  and  Professor  Beal  says  that 
he  probably  fully  compensates  for  whatever  harm 
he  does  by  the  number  of  insects  he  consumes. 
To  keep  him  from  ornamental  trees  it  might  be 
well  to  plant  the  dogwood,  black  alder,  Virginia 
creeper,  wild  black  cherry,  and  juniper. 

In  some  places,  Mrs.  Mabel  Osgood  Wright 
tells  us,  the  farmers  cover  the  trunks  of  their 
orchard  trees  with  fine  wire  netting,  in  this  way 
getting  protection  without  depriving  themselves 
of  the  good  offices  of  the  bird. 

Aside  from  his  food  the  Sapsucker  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  of  Woodpecker  characters,  a 
splendid,  spirited  bird  whose  rollicking  cries  call 
our  attention  and  whose  gay  humors  excite  our 
admiratibn. 

These  martial  spirits  lead  the  drum  corps  of  the 
forest.  In  a  posted  woods  I  have  known  two  of 
them  to  take  up  positions  on  signs  forbidding 
shooting,  and  proceed  to  beat  their  tattoos  as 
loudly  as  if  calling  attention  to  the  inscriptions 


210  RED-COCKADED    WOODPECKER 

beneath  them.  When  living  near  houses  they 
are  particularly  given  to  drumming  on  tin,  eave- 
troughs  offering  great  attractions  to  them.  Some- 
times, when  the  male  is  drumming  to  call  his  mate, 
Mr.  Brewster  says  a  rival  appears  instead,  and  a 
battle  ends  the  performance. 

Mr.  Brewster  has  also  given  us  many  interesting 
facts  about  the  nesting  habits  of  the  Sapsuckers. 
He  says  both  birds  work  on  the  nest,  "  the  bird 
not  employed  usually  clinging  near  the  hole  and 
encouraging  its  toiling  mate  by  an  occasional  low 
cry.  Part  of  the  finer  chips  are  left  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  hole  for  a  soft  bed  for  the  eggs.  The 
labor  of  incubation,  like  all  other  duties,  is  shared 
equally  by  the  two  sexes,  .  .  .  the  birds  relieving 
each  other  at  intervals  averaging  about  half  an 
hour  each.  .  .  .  The  bird  not  employed  .  .  .  has 
also  a  peculiar  habit  of  clinging  to  the  trunk  just 
below  the  hole,  in  a  perfectly  motionless  and  strik- 
ingly pensive  attitude."  1 

Red-cockaded  Woodpecker  :  Dryobates  borealis. 

Adult  male,  crown  black ;  a  scarlet  spot  on  each  side  of  the 
nape  ;  back  barred  with  black  ;  under  parts  white  ;  sides  marked 
with  black.  Adult  female,  similar,  but  without  scarlet  on  the 
head.  Length,  about  &J-  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Southern  United  States,  west- 
ward to  Texas  and  Indian  Territory,  and  northward  to  Ten- 
nessee and  North  Carolina. 

The  Red-cockaded  Woodpecker   is   commonly 
1  Bulletin  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  vol.  i.  No.  3,  pp.  63-70. 


RED-BELLIED    WOODPECKER  211 

seen  in  the  pine  woods  of  Florida  and  other  parts 
of  the  south.  Audubon  says  that  when  on  a  high 
tree  it  looks  as  if  entirely  black.  He  also  says 
that  it  "glides  upward  and  sidewise  along  the 
trunks  and  branches  on  the  lower  as  well  as  the 
upper  side  —  moving  with  astonishing  alertness, 
and  at  every  moment  emitting  a  short,  shrill,  and 
clear  note  which  can  be  heard  at  a  distance."  Mr. 
Chapman  compares  its  call  note  to  the  yank,  yank 
of  the  Nuthatch,  but  says  it  is  louder,  hoarser, 
and  not  so  distinctly  enunciated. 

The  bird  is  said  to  be  highly  useful  in  destroy- 
ing worms  and  insects  under  bark  and  in  rotten 
wood,  excavating  boring  beetles  and  larvae. 

Red-bellied  Woodpecker  :  Melanerpes  carolinus. 

Adult  male,  top  of  head  and  back  of  neck  scarlet ;  back  black, 
uniformly  barred  with  white ;  under  parts  whitish,  washed 
with  scarlet.  Adult  female,  similar,  but  with  the  crown  gray. 
Length,  9^  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States,  breeding1 
from  Florida  to  Maryland,  and  in  the  interior  to  Ontario  and 
southern  Dakota ;  occasionally  strays  to  Massachusetts ;  win- 
ters from  Virginia  and  southern  Ohio  southward. 

Mr.  Ridgway  pronounces  the  Red-bellied  one 
of  the  commonest  and  tamest  Woodpeckers  of 
southern  Illinois.  In  contests  with  the  Red-headed 
he  has  invariably  seen  it  vanquished.  Audubon 
gave  its  call  as  chow-chow,  and  Major  Bendire 
calls  attention  to  its  low,  mournful  cooing  note 
which  resembles  that  of  the  Mourning  Dove  and 
is  made  in  the  nesting  season. 


212  PILEATED   WOODPECKER 

In  the  south  the  bird  is  common  and  has  been 
seen  eating  oranges,  but  as  it  confines  itself  to 
decayed  or  very  ripe  fruit  it  only  harms  the  grow- 
ers who  keep  their  oranges  for  the  late  market ; 
and  Major  Bendire  says  that  the  little  harm  it 
does  is  fully  atoned  for  by  the  great  number  of 
larva?  and  insects  which  it  eats  at  the  same  time. 
He  unquestioningly  puts  it  on  the  list  of  birds 
that  deserve  protection. 

In  Texas  it  is  said  to  nest  in  telegraph  poles. 

Pileated  Woodpecker ;  Cock-of-the-Woods  : 

Ceophloeus  pileatus. 

Head  and  crest  scarlet ;  a  whitish  stripe  on  each  side  of  face 
and  neck ;  body  blackish  brown.  Length,  17  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  "  Formerly  whole  wooded  region 
of  North  America  south  of  latitude  63° ;  now  rare  or  extir- 
pated in  the  more  thickly  settled  parts  of  the  eastern  states." 

When  a  child  I  visited  the  Adirondacks  with 
some  enthusiastic  young  ornithologists,  and  I  shall 
never  forget  the  excitement  of  the  moment  when 
a  loud  rapping  on  a  high  tree  near  the  lake  an- 
nounced the  presence  of  this  noble  Cock-of-the- 
woods.  Our  boat  was  speedily  put  ashore,  and 
the  young  naturalists  vanished  in  search  of  the 
magnificent  bird.  Since  then,  when  rowing  on 
Lake  Placid,  I  have  caught  a  glimpse  of  his  splen- 
did figure  on  the  wooded  border  of  the  lake,  but 
the  sight  is  becoming  rarer  with  the  settlement  of 
the  region.  In  the  hummocks  and  cypress  swamps 
of  Florida,  however,  Mr.  Chapman  tells  us  the 


PILEATED   WOODPECKER  213 

Pileated  is  still  quite  common  and  not  wild.  In 
describing  it  he  notes  that  its  flight  is  slow  and 
direct  rather  than  undulating,  as  is  that  of  most 
Woodpeckers ;  and  says  that  its  call  note  is  a  so- 
norous cow-cow-cow. 

Mr.  Manley  Hardy  finds  the  Woodpeckers  in 
the  Maine  forests,  where,  if  not  disturbed,  they 
become,  accustomed  to  man.  He  so  won  the  con- 
fidence of  one  pair  that  they  would  let  him  put 
his  hand  on  their  tree  when  they  were  only  ten 
feet  above. 

Major  Bendire  gives  the  Pileated's  food  as  ants 
and  different  species  of  boring  beetles  and  larvae 
which  infest  timbered  tracts;  and,  in  addition, 
wild  berries  and  nuts.  He  says  the  bird  does 
far  more  good  than  harm,  and  only  attacks  decay- 
ing and  fallen  timber." 

This  is  the  testimony  in  regard  to  one  species 
of  Woodpecker ;  but  Professor  Beal  assures  us, 
after  the  examination  of  large  numbers  of  stom- 
achs, that  while  farmers  look  on  the  family  with 
suspicion  because  they  see  them  on  the  bark  of 
fruit-trees,  it  is  rare  that  any  but  the  Sapsucker 
leaves  an  important  mark  on  a  healthy  tree ;  but 
on  the  contrary,  when  a  tree  is  infested  with  wood- 
boring  larvaB  the  birds  dislodge  and  devour  them. 
Wood-boring  beetles,  tree-burrowing  caterpillars 
and  timber  ants  begin  their  excavations  in  a  small 
spot  of  decay  and  eat  in  until  they  honeycomb 
the  trees.  They  are  inaccessible  to  other  birds, 


214  WOODPECKERS 

but  the  chisel-like  bills  and  long  barbed  tongues 
of  the  Woodpeckers  are  especially  adapted  to  the 
work  of  extraction.  So  Woodpeckers  naturally 
become  the  great  conservers  of  forests.  As  Pro- 
fessor Beal  says,  "To  them,  more  than  to  any 
other  agency,  we  owe  the  preservation  of  timber 
from  hordes  of  destructive  insects." 

The  Hairy  and  Downy  are  the  most  beneficial 
of  the  Woodpeckers,  from  two  thirds  to  three 
fourths  of  their  food  consisting  of  insects,  most  of 
which  are  noxious.  The  Flicker,  as  we  have  seen, 
is  the  great  ant-eater,  nearly  half  of  his  food 
being  ants ;  while  the  Red-headed  is  the  grass- 
hopper-eater, and  the  Sapsucker  feeds  on  both 
ants  and  grasshoppers. 

The  Woodpeckers  are  easily  distinguished. 
The  Hairy  and  Downy  are  the  two  black  and 
white  ones,  each  having  a  white  stripe  down  the 
back,  and  in  the  case  of  the  male  a  scarlet  band 
on  the  nape.  They  usually  live  on  tree  trunks  in 
the  woods,  but  the  Downy  sometimes  nests  about 
houses.  The  Flicker  is  the  ground-colored  ant- 
eater,  and  the  Red-head  the  tricolored  —  red, 
white,  and  black  —  grasshopper-hunter.  The  Sap- 
sucker  is  the  only  one  with  red  crown,  red  throat, 
and  black  breast,  the  only  one  to  which  the  name 
Sapsucker  can  be  rightfully  applied.  The  Pile- 
ated  lives  in  remote  forests,  is  one  of  the  giants 
of  the  family,  and  may  be  known  by  his  scarlet 
head  and  crest  and  plain,  blackish  brown  body. 


WOODPECKERS  215 

The  Red-bellied  and  Red-cockaded  are  southern 
species,  distinguished  by  the  amount  and  position 
of  red  on  the  head.  In  the  Red-cockaded  the 
red  scarcely  shows,  but  in  the  Red-bellied  the 
whole  top  of  the  head  and  back  of  the  neck  are 
bright  scarlet. 

Comparing  the  Woodpeckers  with  other  groups 
of  birds  we  have  become  familiar  with,  their 
habit  of  living  on  tree  trunks  would  separate 
them  from  all  but  the  Nuthatch,  whose  grayish 
blue  back  and  small  size  distinguish  him.  The 
habit  of  nesting  in  tree  trunks  is  shared  with  Nut- 
hatches, Chickadees,  Bluebirds,  Tree  Swallows, 
and  Swifts,  though  the  Swift  nests  in  hollow 
trees.  As  a  family  the  Woodpeckers 
are  black  and  white,  very  different 
from  the  brown-toned  Grouse  and 
Quail,  the  Doves,  Wrens,  Thrash- 
ers, Cuckoos,  Waxwings,  and  Spar- 
rows, as  from  the  gray  Flycatchers 
and  green  Vireos  ;  and  on  the  other 
hand  from  the  brilliant  Orioles  and  FIG.  133. 
Tanagers.  Their  heavy,  blunt  bills  Foot  of  Wood- 
(see  Fig.  108,  p.  192)  are  adapted  pecker,  two  toes 

,    .,,.  ,      ,  .  ,          in  front  and  two 

to  drilling  and    drumming  —  the  behind 

Mexican  name  for  them  is  '  Car- 
pentaros '  —  their  feet  in  most  cases  have  two  toes 
behind  instead  of  one  as  in  ordinary  birds  (see 
Figs.  202,  and  204,  p.  351),  which  seems  to  better 
support  their  weight  in  climbing  and  hanging  on 


216  KEY  TO    WOODPECKERS 

tree  trunks,  though  many  birds  of  similar  habits 
have  ordinary  feet;  while  their  tails  with  stiff 
quills  and  pointed  feathers  help  them  brace  against 
tree  trunks  (see  Fig.  212,  p.  353),  as  do  the  bristly 
tails  of  the  Swifts  (see  Fig.  213,  p.  353).  Though 
they  have  loud  calls  and  are  drummers,  they  are 
songless  birds,  and  so  from  the  standpoint  of 
music  may  be  classed  with  the  Grouse,  Doves, 
Crows,  Jays,  Flycatchers,  Cuckoos,  Kingfishers, 
Goatsuckers,  and  Wax  wings,  rather  than  with  the 
Orioles,  Finches,  Sparrows,  Wrens,  Thrashers, 
Catbird,  and  Mockingbird. 


FIG.  134. 
Red-headed  Woodpecker. 

Key  to  Adult  Male  l  Woodpeckers. 

1.  Whole  head  and  neck  bright  red. 

Back  black  ;   belly  white  ;  wings   and   rump   showing 
white  in  flight  .     p.  131.     RED-HEADED  WOODPECKER. 

1'.  Whole  head  and  neck  not  red. 

2.  Plumage  mainly  brownish  ;  rump  conspicuously  white  ; 
breast  with  black  crescent;  under  side  of  wings  and  tail 
yellow  ;  white  rump  seen  in  flight,  p.  127.  FLICKER, 

1  The  female  Red-head  is  like  the  male  ;  in  all  the  other  spe- 
cies the  females  differ  from  the  males  in  having  the  red  less 
extensive  or  absent. 


CANADA  JAY  217 

2'.  Plumage  mainly  black  and  white  ;  rump  not  white. 
3.  Under  parts  mainly  black  ;  size  nearly  as  large  as 
Crow  ;  top  of  head  red  and  crested  ;  throat  and  stripe 
on  side  of  face  and  neck  white  ;  underside  of  wings 
white  and  black  ;  rest  of  body  black.  Found  in  for- 
ests   p.  212.  PILEATED  WOODPECKER. 

3'.  Underparts  not  mainly  black;  size  of  Robin  or  smaller. 

4.  Large  black  patch  on  breast  ;  throat  red  (white  in 

female)  ;  belly  yellow  ...     p.  208.     SAPSUCKER. 

4:'.  No  black  patch  on  breast. 

5.  Underparts  ash-gray,  washed  with  red  ;  back  barred 
black  and  white  ;  top  of  head  red.  Common  in  the 
south  .  .  p.  211.  RED-BELLIED  WOODPECKER. 

5'.  Under  parts  white,  never  washed  or  tinged  with  red; 

back  mainly  black. 

6.  Crown  black  ;  back  barred  with  white  ;  a  small 
red  spot  on  each  side  of  back  of  head.  Found  in 
pine  woocls  in  south. 

p.  210.    RED-COCKADED  WOODPECKER. 

6'.  Crown  with   a   scarlet  band  ;  back  streaked  with 

white. 

7.  Length  9  to  10  inches.    Common  in  northern  wood- 
lands   ....    p.  135.     HAIRY  WOODPECKER. 

7'.  Length  6  to  7  inches.    Familiar  orchard  and  door- 
yard  bird     .     .     p.  137.     DOWNY  WOODPECKER. 

Canada  Jay ;   Moose  Bird :  Perisoreus  canadensis. 
(Plate  XII.  p.  218.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Nova  Scotia,  northern  New  Eng- 
land and  northern  New  York  ;  west  to  northern  Minnesota  ; 
north  in  the  interior  to  the  arctic  regions. 

Tourists  in  the  Adirondacks,  White  Mountains, 


218 


CANADA  JAY 


and  Green  Mountains  may  be  fortunate  enough 
to  see  the  Canada  Jays,  or,  as  they  are  known 
from  a  corruption  of  their  Indian  name,  Wiss-ka- 
chion,  Whiskey  Jacks  ;  but  when  camping  out  one 
is  most  likely  to  see  them.  They  are  the  constant 
attendants  and  companions  of  the  lumbermen, 
trappers,  and  hunters  along 
the  Canadian  border.  In 
northern  Maine  Mr.  Man- 
ley  Hardy  reports  that 
"  they  will  enter  tents  and 
often  alight  on  the  bow  of 
a  canoe  where  the  paddle 
at  every  stroke  comes  with- 
in eighteen  inches  of  them."  They  seem  without 
fear  of  man,  and  help  themselves1  freely  to  any- 
thing eatable  about  camp.  They  are  remarkably 


FIG.  135. 
Bill  of  Blue  Jay. 


FIG.  136. 
Bill  of  Crow. 


attractive  birds,  and  give  life  and  interest  to  the 
dark,  evergreen  forests  which  they  inhabit. 

Like   the    ordinary   Jay   they   are    hoarders. 


PLATE   XII.  —  CANADA   JAY 


Forehead  white  ;  back  of  head  and  nape  blackish  ;  rest  of  body 
mainly  gray.     Length,  12  inches. 


CROWS  AND  JAYS  219 

Audubon  says  they  store  away  berries  and  nuts 
in  hollow  trees,  or  between  the  layers  of  bark  on 
decaying  branches,  the  provision  secured  enabling 
them  to  pass  the  winter  in  comfort  and  rear  their 
young  before  the  snow  is  off  the  ground. 

With  the  Canada  Jay  we  finish  the  family  of 
Crows  and  Jays.  The  two  Crows  can  be  told 
apart  by  the  smaller  size  of  the  Fish  Crow  and 
its  harsh  guttural  note,  while  the  Blue  Jay  will 
never  be  confused  wi|h  its  gray  Canadian  cousin. 
As  a  group  they  are  powerful  birds  of  marked 
characters  and  striking  plumage,  with  heavy  bills 
and  strong  feet.  (See  Figs.  135,  136,  p.  218.) 
They  walk  rather  than  hop,  and  use  their  feet  to 
hold  their  nuts  as  they  drill  them  open. 

It  will  be  a  help  to  run  over  the  birds  that  we 
have  already  spoken  of,  for  we  have  filled  several 
gaps  since  the  last  enumeration. 

Land  Birds :  I.  Grouse  and  Quail.  II.  Pigeons 
and  Doves.  III.  Birds  of  Prey.  IY.  Cuckoos 
and  Kingfishers.  V.  Woodpeckers.  VI.  Goat- 
suckers, Hummingbirds,  Swifts.  VII.  Perching 
Birds :  1.  Flycatchers ;  2.  Crows  and  Jays ; 
3.  Blackbirds  and  Orioles ;  4.  Finches  and  Spar- 
rows ;  5.  Tanagers  ;  6.  Swallows ;  7.  Wax  wings. 


220  KEY  TO  CROWS  AND  JAYS 


FIG.  137. 
Blue  Jay. 

Key  to  Crows  and  Jays. 

1.  Plumage  black. 

2.  Lustrous,    with  purple    and   green  reflections.     Voice 
hoarse  (car).     Found  by  water,  or  not  far  inland. 

p.  16.     FISH  CROW. 

2'.  Larger,  less  lustrous,  sometimes  dingy.  Voice  clear 
(caw).  Found  everywhere. 

p.  11.    AMERICAN  CROW. 

1'.  Plumage  blue  or  gray. 

3.  Head  crested  ;  upper    parts  purplish  ;    a  black  band 
around  head  and  throat ;  wings  and  tail  blue,  marked 
with  black  and  white      ....     p.  154.     BLUE  JAY. 

3'.  Head  not  crested  ;  upper  parts  gray  ;  top  of  head 
white  ;  nape  blackish.  Found  in  northern  coniferous 
forests .  p.  217.  CANADA  JAY. 


JUNCO  221 


Junco ;   Slate-colored  Snowbird  :  Junco  hyemalis. 

Adult  male,  upper  parts,  throat,  and  breast  slate-gray  ;  belly  and 
outer  tail  feathers  white.  Adult  female,  similar,  but  duller 
gray.  Length,  about  6£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION  :  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Minnesota  and  the  mountains  of  New  York  and  New 
England  northward,  and  southward  along  the  summits  of  the 
Alleghanies  to  Virginia ;  winters  southward  to  the  Gulf  states. 

About  Thanksgiving  time,  in  northern  New 
York,  flocks  of  wandering  Crossbills  sometimes 
drop  in  upon  us,  and 
then,  too,  as  we  are  shut 
indoors,  we  think  more 
of  the  companies  of  gray 
and  white  Snowbirds 
that  come  to  our  door- 
steps for  their  share  of 
our  feast.  They  should 
receive  it  from  generous 
hands,  for  as  winter  comes 
on  they  are  not  the  least 

of  the  blessings  for  which  we  have  to  be  thankful. 
Like  the  White-throated  Sparrows,  they  are  num- 
bered with  the  birds  whose  feeding  habits  enable 
them  to  go  in  sociable  flocks,  for  they  are  birds 
of  catholic  taste.  -  In  addition  to  their  insect  diet, 
which  covers  a  large  supply  of  ants,  cutworms, 
weevils,  leaf -eating  beetles,  and  grasshoppers,  they 
also  eat  the  seeds  of  such  weeds  as  pigweed,  chick- 
weed,  knot-grass  and  foxtail,  besides  a  great  deal 


222 


JUNCO 


of  ragweed  (Fig.  139)  which,  while  nuts  to  them, 
is  a  brow-knitting  pest  to  the  farmer.    Mr.  Nehr- 

ling  after  running 
over  the  Junco's 
catalogue,  says  that 
he  is  "like  all  our 
native  Sparrows  .  .  . 
a  very  useful  bird 
to  the  farmer  and 
horticulturist;"  and 
the  ornithologist 
adds,  "  I  cannot 
refrain  from  repeat- 
ing that  in  treating 
the  birds  with  kind- 
ness we  exhibit  the 
greatest  kindness 
to  ourselves. 

We  can  appreci- 
ate all  Mr.  Nehrling 
says  of  the  Junco, 
for  the  little  Snowbird  is  among  our  most  cheery 
winter  friends,  responding  to  all  our  advances 
and  coming  to  our  very  doorsteps  for  proffered 
food.  Even  their  tsip  is  pleasant,  and  as  they  sit 
pluming  themselves  in  the  trees  in  the  warm  sun- 
shine they  often  express  their  content  in  a  gently 
warbled  chorus  that  is  most  grateful  to  the  ear. 


FIG.  139. 
Ragweed,  eaten  by  Junco. 


SNOWFLAKE  223 


Snowflake ;   Snow  Bunting  :  Plectrophenax  nivalis. 

Mainly  white ;  upper  parts,  wings,  and  tail  marked  with  black ; 
in  winter  washed  with  rusty.  Length,  about  7  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  — ' '  Northern  part  of  the  northern 
hemisphere,  breeding1  in  the  arctic  regions  ;  in  North  America, 
south  in  winter  into  the  northern  United  States,  irregularly  to 
Georgia,  southern  Illinois,  Kansas,  and  Oregon." 

My  only  memories  of  these  white  northern  vis- 
itors  are  connected   with    snowshoe  walks   over 
the  fields  in  blinding  snow- 
storms, when  flocks  of    the 
white   birds    would    appear 
and   alight   on  the   ground 
for  a  moment,  then  with  a 
wild  cheep  go   whirling  on 
to  disappear  in  the  cloud  of  gno  fl  ke 

wind-blown  snowflakes.  One 

"  must  have  been  bred  in  the  north,"  Mr.  Cham- 
berlain says,  "  to  enjoy  a  snowstorm  as  the  Bunt- 
ings do,  to  find  with  them  exhilaration  in  the 
biting  air,  and  delight  in  the  swish  and  swirl  of 
the  drifting  flakes.  These  birds  seem  to  be  at 
their  happiest  in  a  storm,  and  whenever  one  comes 
their  way  they  join  in  its  whirl  and  scurry  just 
for  the  fun  of  its  fierce  revelry,  birds  and  flakes 
mingling  in  the  same  wild  dance." 


224  DICECISSEL 


Dickcissel ;  Black-throated  Bunting  :  Spiza 
americana. 

Adult  male,  throat  black ;  breast  yellow,  with  a  black  central 
patch;  back  brownish,  streaked.  Adult  female,  duller,  with- 
out black  on  throat  or  breast.  Length,  6  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States,  mostly 
in  the  Mississippi  valley  ;  breeds  from  Texas  to  southern  Min- 
nesota and  North  Dakota;  winters  in  Central  and  South 
America ;  breeds  east  of  the  Alleghanies  now  only  in  the 
south  locally  and  rarely. 

As  the  Snowbird's  name  recalls  storm-blown 
snow-fields,  so  the  Dickcissel's  brings  up  pictures 
of  the  sunny  level  grain 
fields  of  Illinois.  As  he 
sits  on  a  stake  with  the 
sunshine  pouring  down 
upon  him,  his  song  has 
all  the  brightness  of  the 
great  open  prairies  he 
overlooks.  "  See,  see, 
FIG.  141.  Dick?  Dick_Cissel,  Cissel " 

he  calls  from  morning  till 

night,  well  earning  his  popular  name  of  '  Little 
Field  Lark.' 

The  attractive  bird  is  a  deserving  agriculturist 
as  well  as  a  cheering  bird  of  song,  for  he  makes 
it  his  business  to  do  away  with  caterpillars  and 
cankerworms,  feeding  his  young  considerately 
upon  grasshoppers. 


SAVANNA  SPARROW  225 

Savanna   Sparrow  :  Ammodramus  sandwichensis 
savanna. 

Above  brownish  black ;  under  parts  streaked  with  black ;  pale 
yellow  mark  over  or  in  front  of  eye  and  on  bend  of  wing. 
Fall  birds  washed  with  yellowish  brown.  Length,  about  5^ 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Missouri  and  northern  New  Jersey  north  to  Labrador 
and  Hudson  Bay,  and  winters  from  southern  Illinois  and  Vir- 
ginia southward  to  Cuba  and  Mexico. 

Mr.  Bidgway  characterizes  the  Savanna  Spar- 
row as  "  one  of  the  inconspicuous  little  birds 
which  hide  in  the  grass  or  run  stealthily  along 
the  fences  or  furrows,  having  nothing  special  in 
their  appearance  or  habits  to  attract  particular 
attention." 

Sometimes,  as  you  cross  a  meadow,  one  of  the 
little  brown  striped  creatures  will  start  up  from 
under  your  feet,  and  you  will  look  down  to  find  a 
nest  with  bluish  spotted  eggs  in  it. 

Dr.  Jonathan  Dwight  describes  the  Savanna's 
song  as  "  insignificant  —  a  weak,  musical  little  trill 
following  a  grasshopper-like  introduction  of  such 
small  volume  that  it  can  be  heard  but  a  few  rods. 
It  usually  resembles  tsip-tslp-tsip,  sefe-e-s,  r-r-r. 
More  singing  is  heard  toward  sunset.  .  .  .  Each 
male  seems  to  have  a  number  of  favorite  perches, 
weeds  or  fence  posts,  which  are  visited  as  inclina- 
tion dictates." 

Speaking  of  the  Sparrow's  food,  Mr.  Nehrling 
says  :  "  Like  all  our  small  birds  these  Sparrows 


226  YELLOW-WINGED  SPAEEOW 

are  exceedingly  beneficial,  their  food  consisting, 
during  the  breeding  time,  mostly  of  insects,  and 
in  fall  and  winter  they  eat  large  quantities  of 
the  seeds  of  noxious  weeds.  Unfortunately,"  he 
goes  on  to  say,  "  these  and  other  song  birds  are 
killed  by  the  thousand  in  the  south  by  the  negroes 
for  the  kitchen,  and  on  the  French  market  in 
New  Orleans  large  masses  of  these  birds  are 
offered  for  sale  during  the  whole  winter.  This 
shameless  slaughter  of  our  native  song  birds 
should  be  stopped  by  stringently  enforced  laws 
for  their  protection." 

Yellow-winged    Sparrow;    Grasshopper   Spar- 
row :  Ammodramus  savannarum  passerinus. 

Above  blackish,  with  brown  and  buff  streaks  ;  crown  blackish 
with  buff  line  through  centre  ;  below  unstreaked,  washed  with 
buffy.  Tail,  even,  pointed ;  bend  of  wing  yellow.  Length,  about 
5^  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  northward  to  Massachusetts,  southern 
Canada,  and  Minnesota  ;  winters  from  North  Carolina  to  Cuba 
and  Central  America. 

Mr.  Ridgway  says  that  in  Illinois  this  little 
bird  is  known  "  in  all  cultivated  portions  of  the 
State,  as  well  as  on  the  open  prairie.  To  the 
rural  population  it  is  known  as  the  '  Grass-bird,' 
4  Ground-bird,'  or  '  Grasshopper-bird,'  the  lat- 
ter appellation  being  derived  from  its  grasshop- 
per-like song,  which  it  utters  from  the  end  of  a 
fence-stake,  the  top  of  a  tall  weed-stalk,  or  as  it 


TEEE  SPARROW  227 

sits  upon  the  summit  of  a  haycock  in  the  meadow. 
The  greater  portion  of  its  time  is  passed  in  the 
grass,  in  which  it  runs  from  the  intruder,  unseen, 
like  a  mouse ;  or,  if  pressed  too  closely,  rises  sud- 
denly and  flies  a  greater  or  less  distance  in  a  zig- 
zag manner."  Mr.  Chapman  gives  its  song  as 
pit-tijick,  zee-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e. 

In  Maryland  I  have  watched  the  Grasshopper 
while  it  sang  undisturbed  on  a  fence  rail  only  a 
few  rods  away ;  but  when  it  wanted  to  fly  down 
to  its  nest  it  would  crane  its  neck  and  jet  its 
quaint  short,  pointed  tail  nervously. 

Tree  Sparrow ;  Winter  Chippy :  Spizella  monticola. 

Top  of  head  reddish  brown;  small  black  spot  on  centre  of  breast ; 
back  streaked  with  reddish  brown  ;  breast  washed  with  brown- 
ish ;  upper  half  of  bill  black,  lower  half  yellow.  Length, 
about  65  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
in  Labrador  and  the  region  about  Hudson  Bay  ;  south  in  win- 
ter through  eastern  United  States ;  west  to  the  edge  of  the 
Great  Plains. 

There  are  two  birds  with  which  the  Tree  Spar- 
row might  possibly  be  confused  —  the  Chipping 
and  Field  Sparrows,  although  it  is  much  larger 
than  either.  If  one  knows  what  to  look  for,  how- 
ever, the  Field  can  easily  be  distinguished  by  its 
reddish  bill,  and  the  Chippy  and  Tree  told  apart 
by  the  indistinct  black  spot  on  the  centre  of  the 
breast  of  the  Tree.  Of  course  none  of  the  three 
can  be  confused  with  the  Song  Sparrow,  because 


228 


TREE  SPARROW 


its  breast  is  heavily  streaked,  while  theirs  are 
plain. 

In  the  fall,  when  most  of  the  other  birds  have 
left  northern  New  York,  the  Tree  Sparrow  ap- 
pears in  the  woodland  pastures ;  and  in  Illinois  it 
is  one  of  the  commonest  and  most  friendly  winter 
residents,  as  Mr.  Ridgway  says,  coming  "  famil- 
iarly about  the  door-yards 
and  gardens,  gleaning 
from  the  snow  in  company 
with  Snowbirds  (Junzo 
hyemalis)  and  other  win- 
ter residents.  During  the 
warmer  days  of  winter, 
or  even  if  the  weather  be 
cold  though  clear,  the  rich 
medley  of  soft  jingling 
notes  uttered  by  a  num- 
ber of  individuals  of  this 
species  is  not  excelled  for 
sweetness  by  any  bird 
notes."  Mr.  Bicknell 
gives  two  of  its  call  notes, 
the  customary  chip  and 
"  a  low  double  note,  which 
is  uttered  mainly  while 

the  birds  are  feeding."  He  says  that  "this  simple 
and  slightly  musical  sound  from  many  birds  busily 
feeding  together  produces  a  low  conversational 
chirping,  so  pleasantly  modulated  as  to  seem  an 


FIG.  142. 

Foxtail  Grass,  eaten  by 
Tree  Sparrow. 


SWAMP  SPARROW  229 

unconscious  expression  of  contented  companion- 
ship." 

The  Tree  Sparrow  is  a  striking  illustration  of 
the  good  done  by  seed-eating  birds,  for  Professor 
Beal  has  calculated  that  in  Iowa  alone  this  little 
bird  destroys  875  tons  of  noxious  weed  seeds 
every  year. 

Swamp   Sparrow :  Melospiza  georgiana. 

Crown  and  wing's  chestnut ;  back  light  brown  heavily  streaked 
with  black ;  sides  washed  with  brown  ;  middle  tail  feathers 
darker  on  shafts.  In  winter,  head  streaked  with  black  and 
brown.  Length,  about  6  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  northern  Illinois  and  Pennsylvania  northward  to  Labra- 
dor ;  winters  from  southern  Illinois  and  Massachusetts  to  the 
Gulf. 

"  While  wintering  in  the  south,  Swamp  Spar- 
rows frequently  belie  their  name,  and  I  have 
often  found  numbers  of  them  in  dry  4  old  fields ' 
of  broom  sedge ;  but  at  the  north  they  are  more 
consistent,  and  one  rarely  sees  them  beyond  the 
confines  of  a  wet  meadow,  or,  more  preferably, 
a  large  grassy  marsh  with  reed-bordered  streams. 

"  Swamp  Sparrows  may  be  distinguished  from 
their  cousins,  the  Song  Sparrows,  by  their  un- 
streaked  breasts  and  totally  different  notes.  Their 
usual  call  note  is  a  sharp  cheep,  not  unlike  that 
of  the  White-throated  Sparrow,  and  quite  dif- 
ferent from  the  rather  nasal  chimp  of  the  Song 
Sparrow.  Their  song  is  a  simple,  sweet,  but 


230 


FOX  SPARROW 


somewhat  monotonous  tweet-tweet-tweet,  repeated 
many  times,  all  on  one  note,  and  sometimes  run- 
ning into  a  trill."  (Chapman.) 

Fox  Sparrow :   Passerella  iliaca. 

Head  and  shoulders  mixed  reddish  brown  and  slate-gray ;  cheeks, 
wings,  and  tail  warm  reddish  brown  ;  breast  heavily  marked 
with  rufous.  Length,  about  7j  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence,  Magdalen  Islands,  and  Manitoba  to  Alaska  and  the 
Arctic  Ocean ;  winters  from  Virginia  southward. 

Doctor  Brewer  discovered  Fox  Sparrows  on  the 
grounds  of  the  Capitol  in  Washington,  in  winter, 

and  similar  pleasures  may 
be  in  store  for  many 
observant  city  dwellers. 
The  first  sight  of  the 
bird  is  surely  a  memora- 
ble experience.  What 
with  his  large  size,  his 
striking  fox-colored  back 
and  tail,  together  with 
the  remarkable  combi- 
nation of  slate-gray  and 
fox  on  his  head,  he  seems 
a  new,  strange  creature. 
And  when  he  sings,  one's  surprise  and  admiration 
increase.  His  song  is  so  loud,  ringing,  and  liquid 
that  it  puts  him  at  once  at  the  head  of  the  musi- 
cal Sparrow  family.  "  It  is  a  revelation  to  hear 
it  at  sundown  on  some  vernally  softened  evening 


FIG.  143. 
Fox  Sparrow. 


PINE  GEOSBEAK  231 

of  early  springtime,"  says  Mr.  Bicknell ;  "  little 
swarms  of  gnats  hover  in  the  balmy  air ;  from 
the  twilight  meadows  comes  the  welcome,  half- 
doubtful  piping  of  the  first  hylas  —  no  other 
sound.  Then  perhaps  from  some  dusky  thicket 
a  bird's  song !  An  emotional  outburst  rising 
full-toned  and  clear,  and  passing  all  too  quickly 
to  a  closing  cadence,  which  seems  to  linger  in 
the  silent  air.  ...  It  breaks  forth  as  if  inspired 
from  pure  joy  in  the  awakened  season,  though 
with  some  vague  undertone,  scarcely  of  sadness, 
rather  of  some  lower  tone  of  joy." 

Pine  Grosbeak :  Pinicola  enucleator. 
(See  Fig.  117,  p.  193.) 

Adult  male,  slaty  gray  washed  with  dull  rose-red.  Adult  fe- 
male, slaty  gray  slightly  washed  with  yellowish.  Young,  like 
the  female.  Length,  about  9  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Northern  portions  of  the  north- 
ern hemisphere,  breeding  in  North  America  from  the  moun- 
tains of  New  England,  Colorado,  and  California  north  to  the 
limit  of  trees,  migrating  in  winter  irregularly  to  the  northern 
United  States. 

One  of  the  rare  pleasures  of  a  winter  among 
the  snow-fields  of  the  north  is  the  visit  of  a  flock 
of  Pine  Grosbeaks.  The  handsome,  rosy-coated 
birds  are  not  common  visitors,  and  the  sight  of  a 
red  flock  of  them  clustering  around  the  cones  of 
an  evergreen  is  a  picture  to  brighten  many  a  dull 
day.  They  wander  about  the  country  in  winter, 
and  when  a  flock  suddenly  appears  in  a  neighbor- 


232  PINE  GROSBEAK 

hood  it  creates  general  interest  and  curiosity,  for 
the  birds  are  so  large  and  richly  colored  that 
they  are  hard  to  overlook.  Indeed,  queries  often 
appear  in  the  country  newspapers  as  to  what  the 
remarkable  strangers  may  be. 

Coming  in  this  way,  we  naturally  want  to  show 
them  some  hospitality,  and  Mrs.  Mabel  Osgood 
Wright  tells  us  that  we  can  please  them  by  offer- 
ing them  cracked  corn  that  has  been  soaked  in 
boiling  water. 

They  are  gentle  birds,  whose  knowledge  of  man 
is  so  limited  that  they  have  no  fear  of  him,  and 
will  often  let  themselves  be  taken  in  the  hand. 
One  such  trustful  bird  that  came  to  us  in  north- 
ern New  York  was  caged,  but  although  he  made 
a  gentle  pet,  I  can  never  think  of  him  without 
regret  for  he  had  a  wild  woodland  way  of  lifting 
his  wings  and  uttering  a  low,  plaintive,  haunting 
call  that  told  of  his  yearning  for  his  free  life  of 
winter  wandering,  and  his  longing  for  a  sight  of 
the  great  forests  and  snow-fields  of  his  northern 
home. 

Mr.  Chamberlain  has  had  the  good  fortune  to 
hear  the  Grosbeak's  love-song  near  St.  John  in 
June,  and  describes  it  as  "  an  exquisitely  sweet 
and  tender  strain  —  sung  in  such  soft  tones  it 
must  be  intended  for  one  ear  alone,  for  it  cannot 
be  heard  a  dozen  yards  away.  The  bird  does  not 
sing  thus  because  he  lacks  strength  of  voice,  for 
his  winter  song  is  loud  and  vigorous,  .  .  .  just 


PINE  FINCH  233 

such  a  breezy  carol  as  you  might  expect  from  a 
stalwart  fellow  who  loves  the  north  wind  and 
revels  amid  the  snow." 

Pine  Tinch  ;  Pine  Siskin :  Spinus  pinus. 

Brownish,  streaked  with  black  above  and  below  ;  wing  and  tail 
feathers  marked  with  yellow  at  base.  Length,  5  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  generally ; 
breeds  in  the  British  provinces,  the  higher  mountains  of  the 
western  United  States,  and  sparingly  in  the  northeastern 
states ;  winters  as  far  south  as  the  Gulf. 

"  Few  birds  are  more  erratic  in  their  habits  than 
the  Siskin,  or  Pine  Linnet.  Occurring  to-day, 
perhaps,  in  such  numbers 
that  one  soon  tires  of 
shooting  them,  they  are 
gone  on  the  morrow,  and 
years  may  elapse  before 
one  is  seen  again.  There 
is,  in  their  melancholy 
che-a,  uttered  at  intervals 

,-      ,,      ,  .  Pine  Finch. 

as   small    nocks   pass     in 

short,  waving  swoops  far  overhead,  something 
sadly  suggestive  of  the  cold  bleak  winds  that 
sweep  their  northern  homes."  (Merriam.) 

Although  so  erratic  in  occurrence,  when  it  does 
come,  the  Pine  Finch  is  to  be  welcomed,  not  only 
by  the  bird-lover  but  by  the  agriculturist,  for  it 
is  said  to  be  fond  of  useless  and  pernicious  weeds, 
ragweed  being  on  its  list. 


234  AMERICAN  CROSSBILL 


American  Crossbill :  Loxia  curvirostra  minor. 

Adult  male,  tips  of  bill  crossed  ;  body  dull  red.  Adult  female, 
dull  olive-green,  yellowish  on  rump.  Young,  similar  to  the 
female,  or  mixed  red  and  green.  Length,  about  6£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Northern  North  America ;  resi- 
dent sparingly  north  in  the  eastern  United  States  to  Virginia 
and  the  southern  Alleghanies. 

The  Grosbeaks,  Pine  Finches,  and  Crossbills 
are  all  wandering,  erratic  birds,  flocks  of  which 
may  appear  any  winter's  day.  The  Crossbills,  as 
they  fly  overhead,  announce  themselves  with  a 
metallic  Mmp^  kimp,  kimp,  suggestive  of  the  note 
of  the  Purple  Finch.  When  they  settle  on  the 
ground  they  go  to  picking  up  food  so  quietly,  and 
with  such  an  air  of  being  at  home,  that  they  might 
almost  be  a  flock  of  little  tame  Pigeons.  For 
like  the  Grosbeaks,  Siskins,  and  other  northern 
birds  who  see  little  of  man,  they  are  sad  commen- 
taries on  the  unnatural  wildness  of  most  of  our 
birds.  In  looking  at  a  flock,  the  first  thing  one 
notices  about  them  is  their  variety  of  coloring  ; 
they  shade  from  the  bright  reds  of  the  adult 
males  to  the  dull  greenish  yellows 
of  the  young  and  female.  The 
second  thing  that  attracts  the  eye 
is  the  curious  crossed  bill.  It 
FIG.  145.  seems  such  a  poor  tool,  you  wonder 
Bill  of  Cross-  jlow  the  bir(js  can  ever  manage  to 

pick  up   their   food   with  it;   but 
when  you  see  them  cling  to  a  cone  and  extract 


AMERICAN   CROSSBILL  235 

its  seeds  you  realize  that  the  bill  is  most  wonder- 
fully adapted,  from  the  simple  Finch  type,  to  suit 
their  peculiar  needs. 

In  the  cold  winter  of  1875-76,  Mr.  Nehrling 
tells  us,  the  parks  of  Chicago  and  the  suburbs  of 
the  city  swarmed  with  Crossbills  and  other  north- 
ern birds.  They  came  into  his  garden  and  to  the 
windows  of  his  house  in  Oak  Park,  picking  up 
crumbs,  pieces  of  fat  and  tallow,  hemp,  millet, 
canary-seed,  cuttle-fish  bone,  and  salt.  Indeed, 
the  Crossbills  are  particularly  fond  of  salt,  a  salt 
pork  rind  furnishing  them  a  veritable  feast. 

The  Crossbills  nest  irregularly,  but  usually  in 
February,  when  the  cold  of  winter  is  most  intense 
and  the  snows  the  deepest.  As  Mr.  Nehrling 
says,  one  would  think  it  impossible,  not  only  that 
the  eggs  could  be  kept  from  freezing,  but  that 
the  callow  young  could  endure  the  rigors  of  the 
season. 

There  is  a  white-winged  species  of  Crossbill 
that  goes  farther  north  than  the  American,  but 
it  is  sometimes  seen  in  flocks  with  the  American, 
and  the  two  species  are  similar  in  habits.  The 
white-winged  is  said  to  eat  cankerworms. 


236  EEDPOLL  LINNET 

Redpoll  Linnet :  Acanthis  linaria. 

Adult  male,  cap  bright  red  ;  rump  and  breast  pinkish ;  back 
brownish ;  chin  black.  Adult  female,  red  confined  to  cap. 
Young,  similar  to  female  but  without  red  cap.  Length,  about 
5£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  northern  hemisphere ;  in  winter  migrates  irregularly 
southward,  in  America,  to  Virginia,  Illinois,  Kansas,  and  Ore- 
gon. 

At  the  time  when  the  Crossbills  visited  Chi- 
cago, the  Redpolls  were  also  abundant  there,  and 
Mr.  Nehrling  describes  them  as 
climbing  like  titmice,  "  head 
downward,  along  the  branches  of 
shrubs  and  weed-stalks,  always 
uttering  a  peculiar  chett  or  chett- 
cherrett."  He  says  that  these 
"  exceedingly  lively  and  beau- 
tiful birds  are  especially  strik- 
ing objects  among  the  snow-laden  branches  of 
firs,  spruces,  and  pines,  and  imbue  such  a  cold 
and  dreary  winter  landscape  with  joy  and  happi- 
ness." But  their  very  beauty  and  trustfulness 
prove  their  destruction.  Together  with  number- 
less Warblers,  Finches,  Creepers,  and  Nuthatches, 
when  they  confidingly  enter  the  villages  and  cities, 
the  street  boys  rush  out  and  kill  them  mercilessly 
with  stones  and  sling-shots,  with  air-guns  and 
sticks.  Mr.  Nehrling  exclaims  against  this 
thoughtless  cruelty  of  children,  whom,  he  well  says, 
should  be  taught  to  carefully  preserve  the  beauti- 
ful in  nature. 


LAEK  SPARROW  237 

The  flight  of  the  Redpolls  is  not  very  high,  and 
they  move  along  in  undulating  lines.  In  general 
habits  they  are  said  to  resemble  the  Goldfinch. 
Like  the  other  winter  Finches,  they  live  on  weed 
seed,  and  Mr.  Oberholser  has  seen  flocks  of  sev- 
eral hundred  feeding  on  a  field  grown  up  with 
ragweed,  one  of  the  worst  of  pests. 

Lark  Sparrow :   Chondestes  grammacus. 

Stripes  on  crown  and  sides  of  head  chestnut,  striking- ;  tail  black, 
feathers  showing  white  in  flight ;  black  spot  on  breast. 
Length,  6£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Interior  of  North  America, 
eastward  to  Alabama,  Ohio,  and  Michigan;  breeds  from 
Texas  northward  to  Manitoba;  accidental  on  the  Atlantic 
coast  (Massachusetts,  Long  Island,  New  Jersey,  District  of 
Columbia,  Florida). 

In  Ohio  the  Lark  Sparrow  is  found  in  "  sparsely 
wooded  pastures  or  neglected  fields  bordered  with 
low  trees,"  Doctor  Wheaton 
tells  us,  and  he  considers  its 
song  unrivaled  in  the  Spar- 
row choir.  He  calls  atten- 
tion to  its  habit  of  walking, 
rather  than  hopping  as  the 
other  Sparrows  do,  and  says 
that  in  parts  of  Illinois  it  FlG-  147- 

is   known     as    the    '  Quail  Lark  Sparrow. 

Head,'  from  a  superficial  resemblance  in  color  and 
its  Quail-like  habit  of  running  after  its  fellows 
with  lowered  head,  drooping  wings,  and  expanded 


238  LAEK  SPAEEOW 

tail.  In  other  places  this  Sparrow  is  known  as 
the  '  Road  Bird,'  from  its  habit  of  running  along 
roadsides  and  feeding  in  roads. 

Doctor  Wheaton  gives  an  interesting  instance 
of  a  Lark  Sparrow's  appealing  to  him  for  help. 
Flying  ahead  of  him,  the  bird  led  him  to  a  garter 
snake,  circling  around  it  several  times  as  if  point- 
ing it  out.  When  the  snake  had  been  killed,  the 
bird  "  perched  upon  a  fence  stake  and  filled  the 
air  with  its  grateful  notes."  But,  alas,  after  giv- 
ing thanks,  the  poor  Sparrow  discovered  that  un- 
wittingly the  doctor  had  thrown  the  dead  snake 
almost  on  to  the  nest.  In  vain  it  tugged  and 
dragged  at  the  body  till  again  its  friend  came  to 
its  assistance,  when,  the* snake  being  tossed  out  of 
sight,  it  once  more  burst  out  into  grateful  song. 

The  nest  of  the  Lark  Sparrow  is  a  deep,  root- 
woven  structure  like  those  of  many  Ground  Spar- 
rows, often  sunk  in  a  little  hollow  on  the  ground, 
but  sometimes  placed  in  bushes  or  even  trees. 

The  eggs  are  dingy  white,  marked,  like  Orioles' 
eggs,  with  irregular  lines. 


SHARP-TAILED  SPARROW  239 


Sharp-tailed   Sparrow:  Ammodramus  caudacutus  and 
races. 

Above,  dark  olivaceous ;  cheeks  gray,  inclosed  by  a  dark  brown 
ring ;  tail  feathers  narrow  and  sharply  pointed  ;  breast  and 
sides  buff,  distinctly  streaked  with  black  ;  middle  of  throat  and 
belly  white.  Length,  about  6  inches. ' 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Atlantic  coast  north  to  New 
Brunswick;  marshes  of  Mississippi  valley  north  to  Dakota 
and  Manitoba. 

This  species  is  confined  exclusively  to  the  salt- 
water marshes  of  our  coast,  where  it  may  be 
found  in  large  numbers. 
It  runs  about  among  the 
reeds  and  grasses  with  the 
celerity  of  a  mouse,  and 

is  not  apt  to  take  wing 

-,  ,       i  FIG.  148. 

unless    closely    pressed.     „  ..   .  0, 

J      *  Tail  of  Sharp-tailed  Sparrow. 

Mixed  flocks  of  the  sev- 
eral varieties  of  the  Sharp-tail,  together  with  the 
Seaside  Sparrow,  gather  in  the  fall  among  the 
sedges,  and  may  be  observed  hiding  in  the  grass, 
or  clinging  to  the  tall  stalks  of  the  cat-tails.  In 
the  breeding  season  it  is  usually  associated  with 
the  Seaside  Sparrow  on  the  same  marsh  ;  but  it 
prefers  the  drier  parts,  and  builds  its  nest  in  the 
tussocks  on  the  bank  of  a  ditch,  or  in  the  drift 
left  by  the  tide,  rather  than  in  the  grassier  sites 
chosen  by  its  neighbor. 

"  From  some  bit  of  driftwood  or  a  convenient 
stake  its  infrequent  song  may  be  heard  morning 


240  SEASIDE  SPARROW 

and  evening.  It  is  short  and  gasping,  and  only 
less  husky  than  the  somewhat  similar  perform- 
ance of  the  Seaside  Sparrow."  (Dr.  Jonathan 
Dwight,  Jr.) 

The  Sharp-tailed  Sparrow  is  one  of  the  birds 
whose  tails  must  have  been  modified  by  their  hab- 
its. The  Swift,  as  we  have  seen,  is  an  extreme 
example  of  the  specialized  tail  (see  Fig.  214, 
p.  353),  and  the  Woodpeckers'  tails  are  pointed 
for  bracing.  (See  Fig.  213,  p.  353.)  But  the 
pointed  type  is  found  in  Meadowlarks,  Bobo- 
links (see  Fig.  211,  p.  353),  and  some  of  the 
Sparrows  that  live  among  the  grasses.  (See  Fig. 
148,  p.  239.)  Why  others,  like  the  Vesper  Spar- 
row, whose  lives  are  spent  in  the  same  meadows, 
have  the  unmodified  square  form  (see  Fig.  60,  p. 
119)  is  one  of  the  many  interesting  questions  for 
field  students  to  gather  statistics  on.  Is  the  habit 
of  steadying  the  body  by  pressing  the  tail  against 
grass-stalks  or  reeds  confined  to  birds  with  pointed 
tails  ? 

Seaside  Sparrow  :  Ammodramus  maritimjLs  and  races. 

Bill  long  and  pointed;  above,  grayish  olive;  below,  buffy 
streaked  with  gray ;  throat  white,  inclosed  by  gray  and  dusky 
lines;  yellow  line  over  eye  and  on  bend  of  wing.  JLength,  6 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Salt  marshes  of  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  coast ;  breeding  as  far  north  as  Massachusetts,  and  win- 
tering from  Virginia  southward. 

"  Like  most  marsh-loving  birds,  Seaside  Spar- 


CLAY-COLORED  SPARROW  241 

rows  are  so  consistent  in  their  choice  of  a  home 
that  it  would  be  quite  useless  to  look  for  them 
anywhere  but  in  a  marsh,  and  that  a  salt  one,  gen- 
erally within  sound  or  at  least  sight  of  the  sea. 
The  bay  men  call  them  '  Meadow  Chippies.'  .  .  . 
They  pass  much  of  their  time"  on  the  ground 
among  the  reeds  and  grasses,  but  mount  a  stalk 
to  sing  their  short,  unattractive  song  of  four  or 
five  notes.  Sometimes  they  flutter  into  the  air  a 
few  feet  above  the  reeds  and  deliver  their  song 
while  on  the  wing. 

"  The  absence  of  distinct  streaks  on  the  breast, 
and  lack  of  rufous  in  their  olivaceous  or  grayish 
plumage,  will  distinguish  them  from  the  Sharp- 
tailed,  Swamp,  Savanna,  or  Song  Sparrows,  the 
only  ones  which  are  likely  to  be  found  in  their 
haunts."  (Chapman.) 

Clay-colored  Sparrow  :  Spizella  pallida. 

Similar  to  the  Chipping  Sparrow,  but  grayish  rather  than  red- 
dish brown  on  back  ;  under  parts  white  and  buffy.  Length, 
5£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Northern  plains  and  prairies  ; 
breeds  from  northern  Nebraska,  central  Iowa,  and  northern 
Illinois  northward ;  winters  from  southern  Texas  southward. 

This  little  Sparrow  of  the  plains  is  said  to  be 
very  much  like  the  eastern  Chipping  Sparrow 
both  in  song,  habits,  and  familiarity* 


242  BACHMAN'S  SPARROW 

Bachman^s  Sparrow  :  Peuccea  cestivalis  bachmanii. 

Upper  parts  rufous,  buffy  line  over  the  eye  ;  breast  and  sides 
brownish  buff,  unstreaked.  Length,  about  5|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —Lower  Mississippi  valley  north 
to  southern  Indiana  and  southern  Illinois ;  west  to  northern 
Texas ;  east  to  Georgia,  South  and  North  Carolina ;  south  in 
winter,  in  the  Atlantic  states,  to  southern  Florida. 

Bachman's  Sparrow  is  a  shy  bird,  frequenting 
half-cleared  fields  or  open  woods,  where,  when 
alarmed,  it  will  dive  into  the  nearest  shelter,  or 
skulk,  wren-like,  along  the  fences,  dodging  from 
rail  to  rail.  In  Florida,  where  it  spends  the  win- 
ter, it  is  to  be  seen  in  the  pine  woods  undergrown 
with  oaks.  Its  near  relative,  the  Pine  Woods 
Sparrow,  on  the  other  hand,  is  found  only  in  pine 
woods  with  an  undergrowth  of  scrub  palmetto. 
The  songs  of  both  birds  are  remarkable.  Bach- 
man's  sings  even  during  the  heat  of  midday,  but 
its  cousin  of  the  pine  woods  needs  the  inspiration 
of  matins  and  vespers.  Mr.  Chapman  describes 
the  song  of  the  Pine  Woods  Sparrow  as  being 
very  simple,  but  possessing  "  all  the  exquisite 
tenderness  and  pathos  of  the  melody  of  the  Her- 
mit Thrush." 

Bachman's  Sparrow  completes  the  number  of 
the  Finches  and  Sparrows  that  we  shall  take  up. 
The  family,  being  the  largest  of  our  bird  families, 
is  greatly  varied,  but  its  members  as  a  rule  have 
the  conical  seed-eater  bill  (see  Fig.  119,  p.  193), 
and,  by  combining  an  insect  and  vegetable  diet, 


FINCHES  AND  SPABEOWS  243 

are  able  to  winter  in  the  United  States,  living 
upon  the  seeds  of  the  weeds  that  protrude  above 
the  snow ;  while  exclusively  insectivorous  birds, 
such  as  Cuckoos,  Goatsuckers,  Hummingbirds, 
Swifts,  Flycatchers,  and  Swallows,  must  go  to  the 
tropics  to  find  their  winter  food. 

As  a  family  the  Finches  and  Sparrows  are 
musical  birds,  some  of  them  such  remarkable 
songsters  that  they  rank  with  the  Orioles,  Wrens, 
Thrashers,  and  Mockingbird. 

The  Sparrows  live  for  the  most  part  in  open 
fields,  where  their  dull  brown  streaked  coats  pro- 
tect them ;  while  the  Finches,  largely  bright-col- 
ored birds,  such  as  the  Indigo-bird  and  Cardinal, 
live  in  the  cover  of  trees,  where  their  conspicuous 
coats  are  less  noticeable.  As  the  Sparrows  spend 
much  of  their  time  on  the  ground,  they  are  birds  of 
strong  feet  (see  Fig.  21,  p.  50) 
and  short  round  wings  (Fig.  149), 
in  sharp  contrast  to  the  birds 
that  get  their  food  on  the  wing  FIG.  149. 

(Figs.  99,  p.  189;  100  and  102,        Wing  of  Song 
p.  190).     The  commonest  Spar-  Sparrow. 

rows  are  easily  distinguished.  The  Chipping 
Sparrow  (see  Fig.  55,  p.  113),  and  the  Clay-col- 
ored, its  cousin  of  the  plains,  are  the  two  dooryard 
Sparrows,  as  Mr.  Torrey  would  call  them,  and 
rank  with  the  smallest  of  the  family.  The  Song 
Sparrow  is  a  size  larger ;  its  breast  is  streaked,  and 
has  usually  a  black  spot  in  the  centre  (Fig.  154, 


244  FINCHES  AND  SPAEEOWS 

p.  252).  It  comes  next  to  the  Chippy  in  friend- 
liness. The  Vesper  is  seen  on  roadside  fences, 
and  when  it  flies  may  be  recognized  by  its  white 
outer  tail  feathers.  (See  Fig.  60,  p.  119.)  Its 
loud,  sweet  song  is  also  a  striking  character.  The 
White  -  throated  and  White  -  crowned  Sparrows 
stand  by  themselves,  and  the  two  may  be  known 
apart  by  the  white  chin  patch  of  the  White- 
throat,  though  both  have  handsome  striped  black 
and  white  crowns  (Figs.  150  and  152,  p.  252). 
The  Tree  and  Field  Sparrows  are  the  less  domes- 
tic cousins  of  the  Chippy  and  Clay-colored.  The 
Field  may  be  known  by  its  reddish  bill  and  its 
plaintive  song,  which  generally  runs  down  the 
scale  ;  while  the  Tree  may  be  recognized  by  its 
larger  size,  the  small,  indistinct  black  spot  on  its 
breast,  and  the  fact  that  it  is  only  a  winter  visitor 
going  to  Labrador  and  the  Hudson  Bay  country 
to  nest.  The  Savanna,  Grasshopper,  Sharp-tailed, 
and  Seashore  Sparrows  belong  to  the  same  genus, 
and  are  birds  of  the  open  meadows,  or,  in  the  case 
of  the  Sharp-tailed  and  Seashore,  of  salt  marshes. 
Their  tails  are  worn  and  pointed  (see  Fig.  148, 
p.  239),  presumably  because  they  use  them  to 
brace  against  the  reeds  and  grasses,  steadying 
themselves  as  they  perch.  A  fine,  insect-like  song 
characterizes  the  Grasshopper  Sparrow,  together 
with  the  iskct  that  its  under  parts  are  unstreaked, 
while  those  of  the  Savanna  are  heavily  streaked. 
In  the  north,  the  Grasshopper  is  found  in  old  daisy 


FINCHES  AND  SPAEEOWS  245 

or  sorrel  fields.  The  Seaside  and  Sharp-tailed, 
while  occurring  together,  may  be  told  apart  by 
the  absence  of  distinct  streaks  on  the  under  parts 
of  the  Seaside.  The  Lark  Sparrow,  the  Dickcissel, 
and  Bachman's  Sparrows  are  birds  of  the  interior 
of  the  United  States ;  and  the  Lark  is  known  by 
the  heavy  chestnut  markings  on  the  sides  of  its 
head  (see  Fig.  147,  p.  237)  and  the  white  mark- 
ings of  its  tail,  while  the  Dickcissel,  the  meadow 
songster,  may  be  known  by  its  black  throat  and 
yellow  breast  (see  Fig.  159,  p.  253),  which  sug- 
gest similar  marks  in  the  Meadowlark  (see  Fig. 
45,  p.  106),  after  which  it  is  nicknamed.  Bach- 
man's is  a  bird  of  the  woods  or  clearings  rather 
than  the  meadows,  and  will  be  recognized  by  its 
noted  song.  The  Swamp  Sparrow  is  in  the  same 
genus  with  the  Song  Sparrow,  but  may  be  told 
from  it  by  its  unstreaked  breast  and  different 
song,  together  with  the  fact  that  in  the  north  it  is 
found  almost  exclusively  in  marshes  or  wet  mead- 
ows. The  Fox  Sparrow  is  such  a  striking  north- 
erner that  when  seen  on  its  migrations  it  can 
never  be  confused  with  any  other  Sparrow.  (See 
Fig.  143,  p.  230.)  As  its  name  suggests,  it  is  fox- 
colored,  being  heavily  marked  with  reddish  brown 
on  its  breast  and  having  reddish  wings  and  tail. 
The  slate-gray  of  its  head  mixed  with  this  fox- 
color  make  an  unusual  combination  hard  to  forget. 
Of  the  rest  of  the  family  the  Che  wink  (see 
Fig.  153,  p.  252)  has  the  sparrow-like  habit  of 


246      KEY  TO  FINCHES  AND  SPARROWS 

scratching  on  the  ground  for  its  food,  and  its  rus- 
set sides  match  the  dead  leaves  about  it,  while 
its  black  back  is  inconspicuous  from  above.  The 
Goldfinch  (Frontispiece)  and  Indigo  Bunting 
carry  their  names  in  their  colors,  as  do  the  Car- 
dinal (see  Fig.  155,  p.  253)  and  the  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak  (see  Fig.  151,  p.  252).  The  rest  of  the 
Finches  we  have  looked  at  are  winter  visitors, 
including  the  two  Snowbirds,  the  Slate-colored 
Junco  and  the  Snowflake  (see  Figs.  156  and 
158,  p.  253),  the  Redpoll  (Fig.  157,  p.  253), 
Crossbill  (Fig.  145,  p.  234),  Streaked  Pine  Finch 
(Fig.  144,  p.  233)  and  large,  rosy  Pine  Grosbeak 
(Fig.  117,  p.  193). 

Key  to  Adult  Male  Finches  and  Sparrows. 

Common  Characters.  —  Bill  stout  and  conical. 

I.  STRIKINGLY-COLORED  BIRDS. 

A.  BLUE  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE. 

B.  YELLOW  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE. 

C.  BLACK  OR  SLATE-GRAY  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLU- 

MAGE. 

D.  RED  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE. 

II.  DULL-COLORED  STREAKED  BIRDS. 

A.  UNIFORMLY  STREAKED  ABOVE  AND  BELOW. 

B.  NOT  UNIFORMLY  STREAKED  ABOVE  AND  BE- 

LOW. 

I.  STRIKINGLY-COLORED  BIRDS. 
A.  BLUE  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE. 

Entire  body  indigo  blue.     Call  cheep,  accompanied  by 

twitching  of  tail  from  side  to  side.     Female  brownish. 

p.  149.    INDIGO  BUNTING. 


KEY  TO  FINCHES  AND  SPARBOWS     247 

B.  YELLOW  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE. 
1.   Throat  with  black  patch. 

Breast  yellow  ;    back   brownish,   streaked.     Found  in 
meadows  in  the  Mississippi  valley. 

p.  224.     DICKCISSEL. 

1'.  Throat  without  black  patch. 

Entire  body  canary  yellow  ;  cap,  wings,  and  tail  black. 

p.  145.     GOLDFINCH. 

C.  BLACK  OR  SLATE-GRAY  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE. 
1.  Mainly  black  and  white,  large. 

2.  Upper  parts  black  ;  sides  russet ;  belly  and  corners  of 
tail  white.  Scratches  among  leaves  on  ground.  Fe- 
male brown  in  place  of  black  .  p.  181.  CHEWINK. 

2'.  Upper  parts  washed  with  brown.  Seen  in  flocks  on  the 
snow,  November  to  March  .  p.  223.  SNOWFLAKE. 

1'.  Not  mainly  black  and  white;  small. 

Slate-gray,  belly  and  outer  tail  feathers  white. 

p.  221.     JUNCO. 

D.  RED  CONSPICUOUS  IN  PLUMAGE. 
1.  Bill  crossed. 

Small  winter  visitants.   Seen  in  flocks  with  greenish  yel- 
low females  and  young,  often  eating  seeds  of  cones. 

2.  Body  dull  red  ;  no  black  or  white  on  back  or  wings. 

p.  234.     AMERICAN  CROSSBILL. 

2'.  Body  pink;  back  marked  with  black  ;  wings  black  and 
white  .  .  .  p.  235.  WHITE-WINGED  CROSSBILL. 

1'.  Bill  not  crossed. 

3.  Body  mainly  red. 

4.  Body  bright  cardinal ;  head  with  high  crest.     Female 
largely  brownish p.  65.     CARDINAL. 

4'.  Body  washed  with  dull  rose-red;  head  without  crest. 
6.  Size    small ;  resident.     Female  sparrowy,  streaked. 

p.  148.    PURPLE  FINCH. 


248  KEY  TO  SPARROWS 

5'.  Size  large  ;  winter  visitors.  Come  in  flocks 
with  gray  females  and  young. 

p.  231.     PINE  GROSBEAK. 
3'.  Body  not  mainly  red. 

6.  Upper  parts  black  (head,  throat,  and  back  black) . 
Size  large  ;    bright   crimson   patches   on  breast  and 
under  wings.     Females  sparrow-like. 

p.  166.      ROSE-BREASTED  GROSBEAK. 

6'.  Upper  parts  brown  (finely  streaked). 

Size  small  ;  cap  bright  crimson,  chin  blackish  ;  rump 
and  under  parts  dull  crimson.  Seen  in  flocks  in 
winter p.  236.  REDPOLL. 

II.  DULL-COLORED  STREAKED  BIRDS. 

A.  Uniformly  streaked  above  and  below  ;  yel- 

low on  base  of  wing  and  tail  feathers  ; 
size  small.  An  erratic  winter  visitor. 
Usually  in  flocks  about  evergreens. 

p.  233.     PINE  FINCH. 

B.  Not  uniformly  streaked  above  and  below  ;   no  yellow 
on  base  of    wing  and   tail  feathers.     Brownish  birds. 
Length  5  to  10  inches SPARROWS. 

Key  to  Sparrows. 

1.  Crown  conspicuously  striped. 
2.  Chin  with  square  white  patch.  Song  a  loud, 
clear  whistle,  /,  1,  pea-body,  pea-body. 

p.  174.     WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW. 

2'.  Chin  without  white  patch. 

Crown  with  conspicuous  black  and  white 
stripes. 

p.  176.      WrHITE-CROWNED   SPARROW. 


KEY  TO  SPARROWS  249 

1'.  Crown  not  conspicuously  striped. 
3.  Crown  mainly  reddish  brown  or  chestnut. 
4.  Corners  of    tail  conspicuously  marked   with  white  ; 
breast  unstreaked,  but  with  small  black  spot  in  cen- 
tre ;  cheeks  chestnut.     A  large,  handsome  Sparrow 
of  Mississippi  valley  region,     p.  237.  LARK  FINCH. 

4'.  Corners  of  tail  not  white. 
5.  A  conspicuous  reddish  brown  patch  on  wing. 

Forehead  black  ;  breast  grayish,  without  marking  ; 
throat  white   .    '.*  •  .     .  p.  229.     SWAMP  SPARROW. 

5'.  No  reddish  brown  patch  on  wing. 
6.  Forehead  black  anteriorly  ;    white  wing 
bars  not  conspicuous ;  bill  black.  Common 
doorstep  Sparrow    .     p.  113.    CHIPPING  SPARROW. 

6'.  Forehead  without  black;  white  wing  bars  conspicu- 
ous. 

7.  Breast  with  indistinct  black  spot ;  upper  half  of 
bill  black,  lower  half  yellow.  Common  winter 
visitant p.  227.  TREE  SPARROW. 

7'.  Breast  without  spot  ;  entire  bill  reddish  brown. 
Song,  a  minor  whistle,  p.  183.  FIELD  SPARROW. 

3'.  Crown  not  mainly  reddish  brown  or  chestnut. 
8.  Under  parts  not  streaked. 

.  9.  Outer  tail  feathers  white  ;  back  and  breast  slate- 
gray  ;  belly  abruptly  white.  Common  in  flocks 
in  winter p.  221.  JUNCO. 

9'.  Outer  tail  feathers  not  white. 

10.  Upper  parts  reddish  brown  ;  breast  and  sides 
brownish,  unstreaked.  Found  in  Mississippi 
valley  and  the  south. 

p.  242.    BACHMAN'S  SPARROW. 


250  KEY  TO  SPARROWS 

10'.  Upper  parts  not  reddish  brown ;  under  parts  whit- 
ish.     Bird  of  the  plains. 

p.  241.     CLAY-COLORED  SPARROW. 


8'.  Under  parts  streaked. 

11.  Upper  parts  bright  reddish  brown  ; 
size  large ;  breast  heavily  streaked. 
Migrant. 


p.  230.     Fox  SPARROW. 

11'.  Upper  parts  not  reddish  brown  ;  size  smaller. 
12.  Outer  tail  feathers  white  ;    upper 
parts   brownish  gray,  streaked  ; 
shoulders  reddish  brown.     Seen 
commonly  on  roadside  fences. 

p.  119.    VESPER  SPARROW. 

12'.  Outer  tail  feathers  not  white. 
13.  No  yellow  on  bend  of  wing  ; 
sides  of  throat  blackish  ; 
breast  and  sides  heavily 
streaked;  an  indistinct  blotch 
in  middle  of  breast.  One  of 
the  commonest,  most  familiar 
Sparrows  .  .  .  p.  116.  SONG  SPARROW. 

13'.  Yellow  on  bend  of  wing. 

14.  Under  parts  white  and  heavily  streaked  ;  up- 
per  parts  blackish   brown,  streaked.     Bird 
...     of  northern  meadows. 

p.  225.  SAVANNA  SPARROW. 

14',  Underparts  not  white  and  not  heavily  streaked. 
15.  Crown  blackish  (a  buffy  line  through  centre); 
nape  rufous  brown  ;  back  blackish.     Bird 
of  dry  fields,  especially  in  the  south. 

p.  226.    GRASSHOPPER  SPARROW. 


KEY  TO  SPARROWS  251 

15'.  Crown  not   blackish;   tail   pointed.     Bird  of 
salt  marshes. 

16.  Breast   and  sides  distinctly  streaked  ;    upper 
parts  brownish  olive  ;    head 
marked  with  buffy  yellow  and 
bluish  gray. 

p.  239.      SHARP-TAILED  SPARROW. 

16'.  Breast  and  sides  indistinctly  streaked  ;  upper 
parts  grayish  olive. 

p.  240.     SEASIDE  SPARROW. 


252          FINCH  AND  SPARROW  FAMILY 


FIG.  150.  FIG.  152. 

White-throated  Sparrow.  White-crowned  Sparrow. 


S 

FIG.  151. 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 


FIG.  154. 
Song  Sparrow. 


FIG.  153. 
Chewink. 


MEMBERS    OF   THE   FINCH   AND    SPARROW    FAMILY. 


FINCH  AND  SPARROW  FAMILY         253 


FIG.  155. 
Cardinal. 


FIG.  158. 
Snowflake. 


FIG.  156. 
Junco. 


_FiG.  159. 
Dickcissel. 


MEMBERS    OF   THE    FINCH   AND   SPARROW   FAMILY. 


254  ACADIAN  FLYCATCHER 

Acadian  Flycatcher :  Empidonaz  virescens. 

Upper  parts  olive  green;  throat  white  ;  rest  of  under  parts  white, 
washed  with  yellowish  and  greenish  ;  two  conspicuous  yellow- 
ish white  wing  bars.  Length,  5|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern  United  States;  breeds 
from  Florida  and  Louisiana  to  southern  Connecticut  and  south- 
ern Michigan  ;  winters  in  West  Indies  and  Central  America. 

What  distinction  and  flavor  the  discovery  of  a 
new  bird  gives  to  a  day  in  the  woods,  and  how 
the  event  is  stamped  in  the  memory  !  I  can  recall 
the  very  hour  and  spot  when  I  saw  my  first 
Acadian  Flycatcher.  It  was  in  a  delightful  open 
woods  with  straight,  high,  arching  trees  border- 
ing a  quietly  sauntering  stream  in  the  Hudson 
River  valley.  We  were  idly  enjoying  the  May 
beauty  of  the  woods,  when  suddenly  there  came  a 
loud  call  of ' pe-ah-yuk'J  and,  before  I  could  even 
imagine  what  it  was,  my  companion  had  disap- 
peared up  stream,  and  when  I  hurried  after,  was 
absorbedly  gazing  at  the  little  Acadian.  The  per- 
former was  perched  on  a  low  sapling  over  the 
brook,  just  as  the  books  say  he  does,  and  to  my 
great  satisfaction  repeated  his  call  again  and 
again  in  most  orthodox  Acadian  fashion,  with  bill 
pointed  to  the  sky  and  wings  and  tail  shaking  — 
all  so  perfectly  in  accord  with  the  records  one 
might  have  imagined  him  on  the  witness  stand  to 
testify  to  the  customs  of  his  family. 


GEEAT-CBESTED  FLYCATCHER          255 

Great-crested  Flycatcher:  Myiarchus  crinitus. 
(Plate  XIII.  p.  258.) 

Crest  and  back  olive  ;  throat  and  breast  gray ;  belly  lemon  yel- 
low, tail  showing  bright  reddish  brown  in  flight.  Length, 
about  9  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  and  south- 
ern Canada ;  breeds  from  Florida  to  New  Brunswick  and 
Manitoba ;  winters  from  southern  Florida  to  South  America. 

The  Flycatchers  are  no  songsters,  but  may  be 
known  by  their  calls.  The- Great  Crest,  like  most 
birds,  has  moments  of  private  meditation  and 
soliloquy,  but  he  usually  whistles  from  a  treetop 
in  the  woods  so  loudly  you  can  hear  him  from  the 
highway.  '  Whuir,  whuree,  whit-whit ,'  he  calls  in 
such  a  hearty,  healthy  tone  of  satisfaction  that  it 
stirs  one's  blood. 

The  force  and  originality  of  this  tribal  call  note 
is  not  belied  by  the  habits  of  the  birds.  Hardy 
and  pugnacious,  Colonel  Goss  says  they  fight 
fiercely  for  their  mates,  and  have  a  habit  of  pluck- 
ing the  tail  feathers  of  their  rivals  to  disfigure 
them  in  the  eyes  of  their  lady  loves !  But  this 
is  not  all.  When  the  war  is  over,  the  birds  build 
in  a  hole  in  a  tree  trunk,  like  so  many  Wood- 
peckers ;  and  for  nest  lining  they  get  the  cast-off 
skins  of  snakes !  Whatever  may  be  the  historic 
reason  for  this  peculiar  habit,  the  lamented  Mr. 
Frank  Bolles  watched  two  nests  in  which  the  skin 
was  apparently  used  to  scare  away  intruders.  The 
morning  he  found  the  first  nest  it  had  one  egg  and 


256  GREAT-CRESTED  FLYCATCHER 

no  snake-skin,  but  that  evening  he  was  startled 
to  be  met  by  the  raised  head  of  a  snake  (skin) 
in  front  of  the  nest,  and  on  examination  found 
that  the  body  of  the  snake  —  six  or  seven  inches 
long  —  was  coiled  around  the  eggs.  The  second 
year  the  birds  built  in  the  same  place,  and  after 
each  of  Mr.  Bolles's  visits  to  the  nest  fresh  pieces 
of  skin  were  added.  That  this  was  done  with  an 
eye  to  his  intentions  Mr.  Bolles  believed  from  the 
evident  disapproval  of  the  birds,  for  they  scolded 
him  severely  whenever  he  came,  and  as  long  as 
he  remained  in  sight.  A  similar  use  of  the  skin 
is  suggested  in  the  instance  quoted  by  Major 
Bendire,  in  which  the  skin  was  arranged  to  hang 
out  of  the  hole.  Mr.  Burroughs  throws  a  side- 
light on  the  question  by  stating  that  he  has  found 
onion  skin,  fish  scales,  and  even  oiled  paper  in  nests 
where  there  was  no  snake -skin.  If  originally 
protective,  the  instinct  seems  to  have  run  to  seed 
as  a  morbid  taste  for  the  grotesque  in  house-fur- 
nishing ! 

Though  the  Great  Crest  is  a  wood's  bird,  it 
often  nests  in  orchards,  and  Mr.  Nehrling  thinks 
might  easily  be  induced  to  build  in  bird -boxes. 
Aside  from  the  keen  interest  attaching  to  it,  it  is 
a  useful  bird  to  have  about  the  premises,  as  it 
eats  numbers  of  caterpillars,  grasshoppers,  and 
harmful  beetles. 


OLIVE-SIDED  FLYCATCHER  257 


Olive-sided  Flycatcher :  Contopus  borealis. 

Upper  parts  blackish  brown,  throat  and  middle  of  belly  whitish ; 

rest  of  under  parts  like  back ;  lower  half  of  bill  pale  ;  white 

tufts  on  sides  of  rump.     Length,  about  7-J  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;    breeds  in  the 

east  from  Massachusetts  and  Minnesota  northward;  winters 

in  Central  and  South  America. 

Adirondack  visitors  sometimes  have  the  good 
fortune  to  see  this  interesting  bird.  One  summer 
when  rowing  on  Little  Otter,  one  of  the  small 
lakes  on  the  edge  of  the  Adirondacks,  I  heard  the 
loud  call,  and  traced  it  to  the  bird  at  the  top  of  a 
dead  tree  overlooking  the  lake.  There  he  sat  in 
solitude,  surveying  the  landscape,  at  intervals 
shooting  out  in  true  Flycatcher  style  after  pass- 
ing insects.  His  call,  which  Mr.  Torrey  hears 
as  que-quef-o,  has  less  of  command  than  the  Great 
Crest's  ;  in  fact  it  is  rather  plaintive,  more  on  the 
cast  of  the  Wood  Pewee's  ;  and  in  listening  to  it 
on  Little  Otter,  as  my  floating  boat  displaced  the 
water-lilies  of  the  quiet  lake,  the  solitary  bird's 
cry  seemed  to  harmonize  well  with  the  sombre 
depths  of  the  silent  evergreen  forest. 


258  ALDER  FLYCATCHER 

Alder  Flycatcher :  Empidonax  trailii  alnorum  and  race. 

Upper  parts  olive-brown  ;  under  parts  white,  washed  with  dusky ; 

wing  bars  soiled  whitish.     Length,  about  6  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;    breeds  from 

Arizona,  Missouri,  southern  Illinois,  northern  New  England, 

and  casually  Connecticut,  north  to  New  Brunswick  and  Alaska  ; 

winters  in  Central  America. 

This  Flycatcher  is  a  shy  bird  of  the  alders 
rather  than  a  bird  of  the  village,  as  is  the  '  Least/ 
its  double.  And  instead  of  the  call  of  che-beckf, 
with  which  the  Least  relieves  his  feelings,  Traill's 
finds  it  sufficient  to  say  pep.  Its  song  is  said  to  re- 
semble that  of  the  Acadian,  being  an  '  ee-zee'-e-upj 
jerked  out  so  rapidly  that  the  performer  doubles 
himself  up,  fairly  vibrating  with  the  explosive 
effort. 

Contrasting  still  further  the  members  of  the 
Flycatcher  tribe  which  we  have  looked  at,  we  find 
that  the  Kingbird  is  the  tormentor  of  Hawks  and 
Crows,  and  is  marked  with  a  white  band  across  the 
end  of  its  tail.  (See  Plate  XIII.  4.)  Though  the 
Phoebe  and  Wood  Pewee  are  confusing  at  first, 
they  can  be  discriminated  by  the  more  marked 
wing  bars  of  the  Wood  Pewee  (see  Plate  XIII. 
2),  aside  from  the  calls  and  habits  of  the  two 
birds,  which  are  quite  distinct ;  the  Wood  Pewee 
having  the  pee-ah-we  call  instead  of  phoe-be,  and 
the  Pewee  nesting  on  a  high  branch  instead  of 
under  a  shed,  house,  bridge,  or  barn.  The  Great 
Crest  and  the  Olive-sided  are  the  two  birds  of  the 


PLATE  XIII.  -  FLYCATCHERS 

1.  Great-crested  Flycatcher.       2.  Wood  Pewee.       3.  Phoebe. 
4.  Kingbird.       5.  Least  Flycatcher. 


FLYCATCHERS  259 

forest;  the  Olive  the  more  remote  of  the  two, 
for  the  Great  Crest  sometimes  nests  in  orchards. 
The  Pewee,  too,  is  sometimes  found  in  woods. 
The  Least,  the  Acadian,  and  TrailPs,  or  the 
Alder,  are  closely  related,  but  their  call  notes  and 
their  haunts  will  distinguish  them.  Traill's  is  a 
bird  of  the  north ;  the  Least,  of  the  south. 

As  a  family,  the  Flycatchers  contrast  sharply 
with  the  Sparrows ;  the  big  heads  and  shoulders 
and  the  broad,  flat,  bristly  bills  of  the  Flycatchers 
(Fig.  38,  p.  92,  and  Fig.  110,  p.  192),  being  most 
unlike  the  small  round  heads  and  shoulders  and 
conical  bills  of  the  Sparrows  (Fig.  119,  p.  193). 
And  while  the  lowly  Sparrows  pick  up  seeds  from 
the  ground  or  low  weeds,  the  Flycatchers  mount 
to  the  high  places  to  look  for  insects.  On  dead 
twigs  or  treetop  perches  they  lie  in  wait  for  their 
prey,  shoot  out  upon  it,  capture  it  with  a  snap  of 
their  hooked  beaks,  and  instantly  return  to  await 
the  next  hapless  flies.  In  this  habit  of  lying  in 
ambuscade  the  Flycatchers  differ  from  many  of 
the  other  insectivorous  birds,  such  as  Swallows, 
Swifts,  and  Nighthawks,  who  fly  through  the 
air  snapping  up  insects  as  they  go.  Indeed,  their 
feeding  habits  more  nearly  resemble  those  of 
the  Waxwings,  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker,  and 
Kingfisher,  all  of  whom  make  short  sallies  and 
return  to  their  trees.  As  the  Flycatchers  live 
on  insects  most  of  them  make  extended  migra- 
tions, leaving  the  north  early  in  the  fall  and 
returning  late  in  the  spring. 


260  KEY  TO  FLYCATCHERS 


FIG.  160. 
Phoebe. 

Key  to  Flycatchers. 

1.  Crested. 

Throat  and  breast  gray  ;  belly  light  yellow  ;  tail  reddish 
brown.     Call  loud  and  shrill. 

p.  255.     GREAT-CRESTED  FLYCATCHER. 
V.  Not  crested. 
2.  Back  greenish. 

Throat   white  ;    wing   bars   conspicuous.      Southern. 
Call,  peet,  or  pee-a-yuk'. 

p.  254.    ACADIAN  FLYCATCHER. 
2'.  Back  blackish  or  brownish. 

3.  Tail  with  white  bar  across  end  ;  crown  with  concealed 
orange  patch.    Chases  Hawks  and  Crows. 

p.  83.     KINGBIRD. 

3'.  Tail  without  white  bar  ;  crown  without  color  patch. 
4.  Without  noticeable  wing  bars. 

5.  Whole  bill  black  ;  under  parts  pale  grayish  and 
whitish  ;  no  white  tufts  on  sides  of  rump  ;  com- 
mon about  houses,  barns,  and  bridges.  Call, 
phoe-be' p.  87.  PHOEBE. 

5'.  Lower  half  of  bill  pale  ;  under  parts  nearly  same 
color  as  back,  with  whitish  line  down  middle  of 


HORNED  LARK  261 

breast  and  belly  ;  conspicuous  white  tufts  on 
sides  of  rump.  Breeds  in  northern  forests.  Call, 
pu-pio'  .  .  p.  257.  OLIVE-SIDED  FLYCATCHER. 

4'.  With  noticeable  wing  bars. 

6.  Length   more   than   6   inches.     Common.     Note, 
pee'-ah-wee'     .    .    .     .     p.  90.     WOOD  PEWEE. 

6'.  Length  less  than  6  inches. 

7.  Throat  pure  white.     Retiring.    Found   in   alder 
thickets  northward. 

p.  258.  ALDER  FLYCATCHER. 

7'.  Throat   not   pure    white.      Familiar ;    found   in 
trees  about  houses.     Note,  che-beck' . 

p.  80.    LEAST  FLYCATCHER. 

Horned  Lark ;    Shore  Lark  :    Otocoris  alpestris  and 
eastern  race. 

(Fig.  161,  p.  262.) 

Upper  parts  pinkish  brown ;  tail  black,  outer  feathers  marked 
with  white ;  forehead,  horns,  sides  of  throat  and  breast  black ; 
rest  of  under  parts  whitish.  Length,  7f  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  in  northern  Europe, 
Greenland,  Newfoundland,  Labrador,  and  Hudson  Bay  region 
southward  to  upper  Mississippi  valley  and  Massachusetts ; 
in  winter,  southward  to  about  latitude  35°. 

Sometimes,  as  you  drive  along  the  country  roads, 
you  will  see  perched  on  a  fence  a  small  chocolate- 
colored  bird  with  curious  black,  horn-like  plumes 
on  the  sides  of  its  head ;  and  again,  in  winter, 
you  may  meet  a  flock  of  the  same  singular  little 
birds  in  the  middle  of  a  city  street.  I  have  had 
one  of  these  pleasant  encounters  in  Washington. 
The  birds  start  up  before  you  with  a  plaintive 


262 


HORNED  LARK 


cry,  swing  round,  and  then  surprise  you  by  set- 
tling down  again  only  a  few  yards  farther  away ; 
and  if  you  stand  quietly  will  let  you  enjoy  watch- 
ing them. 

In  America  the  Horned  Larks   are  alone  in 

the  family  of  which 
the  famous  Skylark 
is  one  of  the  Euro- 
pean members ;  but 
while  their  song  is 
wholly  unpreten- 
tious, it  is  quaint 
and  attractive,  and 
is  often  given  as 
the  bird  springs 
from  the  ground 
toward  the  sky,  quite 
in  the  manner  of  the  Skylark. 

The  characters  of  the  Horned  Larks  are  dis- 
tinct. They  are  protectively  colored,  matching 
closely  the  soil  where  they  are  seen ;  and  in  the 
west,  where  they  habitually  run  along  the  bright- 
colored  roads,  their  coloration  is  striking.  They 
run  and  walk  rather  than  hop,  and  have  the  fur- 
ther habit  of  keeping  in  flocks  when  not  nesting. 
It  has  been  complained  that  the  Lark  eats 
newly  planted  wheat  and  oats,  but  the  examina- 
tion of  59  stomachs  shows  that  it  does  not  do 
any  appreciable  damage  to  grain  crops,  and  on 
the  other  hand  it  does  great  good  by  eating  weed 


FIG.  161. 
Horned  Lark. 


TURKEY  VULTURE  263 

seed.  As  Professor  Beal  says,  "  Any  bird  which 
eats  freely  the  seeds  of  such  pests  as  pigweed, 
bitterweed,  amaranth,  and  sorrel  should  be  given 
the  most  perfect  protection  unless  it  is  clearly 
shown  to  have  bad  habits  which  offset  the  benefit 
thus  conferred." 

Birds  of  Prey. 

There  is  a  rooted  prejudice  against  both  Hawks 
and  Owls,  although,  as  investigations  prove,  as  a 
group  they  rank  among  the  most  valuable  of 
all  birds.  They  are  persecuted  unceasingly,  and 
yet,  as  Doctor  Fisher  says,  the  majority  of  them 
labor  day  and  night  to  destroy  the  enemies  of  the 
husbandman. 

Turkey  Vulture  :  Catharles  aura. 
(Fig.  163,  p.  264.) 

Head  and  neck  naked,  the  skin  bright  red  ;  rest  of  body  black- 
ish ;  tail  and  wings  brownish.  Length,  about  30  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Temperate  North  America,  from 
New  Jersey,  Ohio  valley,  Saskatchewan  region,  and  the  State 
of  Washington  southward  to  Patagonia.  Of  more  or  less  reg- 
ular occurrence  in  New  Jersey  as  far  north  as  Princeton  in  the 
interior  and  Sandy  Hook  on  the  coast.  Casual  northward  on 
the  Atlantic  coast  to  Maine. 

The  Buzzards  serve  man  by  acting  as  scaven- 
gers, and  the  occupation,  in  the  warm  countries 
where  they  occur,  is  no  sinecure. 

In  New  Orleans  and  other  southern  cities  north- 
ern tourists  see  the  novel  sight  of  Buzzards  sitting 
in  rows  on  the  fences,  and  in  many  places  may 


264 


TUEKEY  VULTURE 


FIG.  162. 
Powerful  bill  of  Hawk. 


observe  them  walking  along  the  streets  or  roosting 

on  housetops.  In 
both  west  and  south 
they  are  one  of  the 
commonest  birds  in 
the  sky  and  may  be 
recognized  from  be- 
low by  the  black 
body  figure  set  in  a 
bordering  of  gray 
wing.  The  wing  tips 
are  separated  like  the  teeth  of  a  comb.  The  shad- 
ows of  the  birds  often  cross  your  path  as  they  cir- 

cle  silently  around 
\  and  around  in  the 

sky  with  heads 
turned  down  to 
scan  the  earth  for 
carrion.  On  ac- 
count of  the  char- 
acter of  the  food 
of  the  Buzzards, 
their  bills  and  feet 
are  modified  from 
the  Hawk  types. 

The  bill  is  less  sharply  pointed  and  powerful; 
while  the  feet,  instead  of  having  curved  talons, 
have  an  elongated  middle  toe  well  adapted  to 
walking  on  the  ground,  or  steadying  the  large 
body  as  the  bird  stands  on  the  carrion  it  is 
devouring. 


FIG.  163. 
Modified  bill  of  Vulture. 


BLACK  VULTURE  265 

Doctor  Ralph  gives  a  grotesque  picture  of  the 
Vultures  he  has  seen  in  the  south  "  floating  down 


FIG.  164.  FIG.  165. 

Walking  Foot  of  Vulture.  Grasping  Foot  of  Hawk. 

a  stream  on  a  dead  alligator,  cow,  or  other  large 
animal,  crowded  so  closely  together  that  they 
could  hardly  keep  their  balance,  and  followed  by 
a  number  on  the  wing."  1 

Black  Vulture  :    Caiharista  atrata. 

Head  and  neck  naked ;  the  skin  blackish ;  plumage  blackish ; 

tail  rather  short,  and  square  at  end.     Length,  about  24  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from   North   Carolina 

southward  through  Mexico  to  South  America. 

"Both  in  their  mode  of  flight  and  in  their 
movements  upon  the  ground  this  species  differs 
materially  from  the  Turkey  Buzzard.  The  latter 
walks  steadily  while  on  the  ground,  and  when  it 
mounts  does  so  by  a  single  upward  spring.  The 
Black  Vulture  is  ill  at  ease  on  the  ground,  moves 

1  Bendire's  Life  Histories  of  North  American  Birds,  p.  162. 


266  KEY  TO   VULTUEES 

awkwardly,  and  when  it  essays  to  fly  upward 
takes  several  leaps  in  a  shuffling  sidelong  manner 
before  it  can  rise.  Their  flight  is  more  labored, 
and  is  continued  by  flapping  several  times,  alter- 
nated with  sailing  a  limited  distance.  Their 
wings  are  held  at  right  angles,  and  their  feet 
protrude  beyond  their  tail  feathers.  In  all  these 
respects  the  differences  between  the  two  birds  are 
very  noticeable,  and  plainly  mark  the  species." 
(Brewer.) 


Key  to  Vultures. 

Common  Characters.  —  Head  and  neck  naked  ;  plumage 

glossy  black. 
1.  Skin  of  head  and  neck  bright  red. 

p.  263.     TURKEY  VULTURE. 
1'.  Skin  of  head  and  neck  blackish. 

p.  265.    BLACK  VULTURE. 

Goshawk  :  Accipiter  atricapillus. 
(Plate  XIV.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  the  northern  United 
States  northward,  and  winters  as  far  south  as  Virginia. 

Fortunately  the  Goshawk  is  rare  in  the  United 
States  except  in  fall  and  winter,  for  it  is  the  most 


PLATE  XIV.  —  GOSHAWK 


Adults,  upper  parts  bluish  gray  ;  under  parts  finely  barred  with 
wavy  gray  and  white.  Young,  upper  parts  brownish,  tail 
barred  with  black  ;  under  parts  whitish,  streaked  with  black. 
Length,  22  inches. 


GOSHAWK  267 

destructive  of  the  American  birds  of  prey;  its 
size,  strength,  and  daring,  together  with  its  rapid 
flight,  making  it  most  dangerous  to  game-birds 
and  poultry.  It  will  actually  dart  down  at  the 
very  foot  of  the  farmer  and  carry  off  a  fowl.  Major 
Bendire  denounces  it  as  "  savage  and  bloodthirsty 
in  disposition,  a  veritable  terror  to  all  smaller 
birds,  and  more  than  a  match  for  others  consider- 
ably larger  than  itself,"  and  he  declares  that  it 
loves  to  destroy  life  for  the  sake  of  killing. 

In  his  '  Hawk  and  Owl  Bulletin,'  Doctor  Fisher 
gives  an  interesting  account  of  its  habits.  "  In 
the  fall,"  he  says,  "  this  Hawk  is  common  along 
the  smaller  watercourses,  where  it  is  very  de- 
structive to  wild  ducks  and  other  water-fowl,  and 
is  able  to  strike  down  a  bird  as  large  as  a  full- 
grown  Mallard.  If  its  prey  is  a  bird  of  this  size 
it  rarely  eats  more  than  the  flesh  from  the  breast, 
leaving  the  rest  of  the  carcass  untouched.  .  .  . 

"  Of  the  upland  game-birds  the  Ptarmigan  in 
the  north  and  the  Buffed  Grouse  in  the  middle 
districts  suffer  severely  from  the  attacks  of  this 
powerful  Hawk.  ...  In  some  parts  of  the  coun- 
try the  Goshawk  hunts  the  Ruffed  Grouse  so 
persistently  that  it  is  known  by  the  name  of 
'  Partridge  Hawk,'  and  this  bird  probably  has  no 
worse  enemy  except  man." 


268  SHARP-SHINNED  HAWK 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk  :  Acdpiter  velox. 
(Plate  XV.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION. —  North  America ;  breeds  through- 
out the  United  States,  and  winters  from  Massachusetts  to 
Central  America. 

Unlike  the  Goshawk,  the  Sharp-shinned  is  one 
of  our  commonest  birds  of  prey.  Fortunately  it 
is  so  small  that  it  does  little  harm  in  the  poultry- 
yard  except  in  carrying  off  very  small  chickens. 
Doctor  Fisher  says  that  its  food  is  made  up 
almost  entirely  of  wild  birds  and  young  poultry ; 
96  per  cent,  of  the  contents  of  the  stomachs  ex- 
amined consisted  alone  of  birds.  However,  as  the 
doctor  says,  when  a  pair  of  the  Hawks  find  a 
farm  where  young  chickens  are  easily  obtained, 
they  devote  themselves  to  the  family  until  there 
is  no  family  left,  or  they  themselves  meet  with  a 
tragic  death. 

The  one  redeeming  quality  of  the  Sharp- 
shinned  is  its  fondness  for  House  Sparrows. 
Doctor  Fisher  tells  us  that  in  winter  it  even  visits 
towns  and  cities  for  them,  being  not  uncommon 
in  Central  Park  and  the  larger  parks  of  Wash- 
ington. 

Doctor  Ralph  finds  that  its  numbers  are  not 
decreasing  as  rapidly  as  those  of  other  Hawks, 
and  attributes  it  to  the  retiring  habits  of  the 
Sharp-shinned,  as  well  as  their  quick  movements, 
which  make  it  difficult  to  shoot  them.  They  do 


PLATE  XV. —SHARP-SHINNED  HAWK 

Adults,  end  of  tail  square ;  upper  parts  and  tail  slaty  ;  tail  banded 
with  black  ;  throat  white,  streaked  with  blackish  ;  rest  of  under 
parts  barred  with  white  and  reddish  brown.  Young,  similar, 
but  under  parts  white,  streaked  with  brown  or  black.  Length, 
male,  11  finches;  female,  13^  inches. 


COOPEB'S  HAWK  269 

not,  he  says,  circle  through  the  air  in  search  of 
food,  but  skulk  around  in  thick  trees  and  bushes, 
and  pounce  on  their  prey  when  least  expected. 
When  they  seize  a  bird  or  mammal,  no  matter 
how  small  it  may  be,  they  always  fly  at  once  to 
the  ground  with  it.  When  they  wish  to  carry 
their  prey  to  any  distance,  they  do  it  by  short 
flights  just  above  the  ground.  They  have  a  pe- 
culiar habit  of  stretching  out  their  legs  as  far  as 
they  can,  as  soon  as  they  seize  their  quarry,  as  if 
they  were  afraid  of  what  they  had  caught." 

The  nests  of  the  Sharp-shinned  are  very  large 
for  the  size  of  the  bird,  and  are  in  trees,  from 
fifteen  to  forty  feet  from  the  ground.  The  eggs 
vary  from  bluish  white  to  cream  buff  heavily 
spotted  with  brown. 

Cooper's  Hawk:   Accipiter  cooperi. 
(Fig.  166,  p.  270.) 

End  of  tail  decidedly  rounded ;  crown  blackish ;  rest  of  tipper 
parts  dark  brown  ;  under  parts  barred  with  reddish  brown 
and  white.  Length,  male,  15|  inches  ;  female,  19  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico to  Newfoundland,  and  winters  from  Massachusetts  to 
Mexico. 

Doctor  Fisher  has  found  that  the  food  of 
Cooper's  Hawk,  like  that  of  the  little  Sharp- 
shinned,  consists  almost  entirely  of  wild  birds  and 
poultry,  and  as  Cooper's  is  larger  and  stronger, 
it  does  much  more  harm  in  the  dove-cote  and 
hen-yard.  Indeed,  its  devastations  amount  to 


270 


COOPER'S  HAWK 


more  than  all  other  Hawks  together.  It  fully 
merits  the  name  of  Chicken  Hawk,  and  its  name 
should  be  written  in  black. 

Colonel  Goss,  in  his  4  Birds  of  Kansas,'  gives 


a  hint  for  the  identification  of  these  Hawks,  and 
an  interesting  experience  of  his  own  with  them. 
"  Their  ordinary  flight  is  a  quick  flapping  of  the 
wings,"  he  says,  "relieved  occasionally  by  sailing. 


BED-TAILED  HAWK  271 

Their  slender  build  and  long,  rudder-like  tail 
enables  them  to  swiftly  wind  their  way  through 
the  trees  and  to  snatch  a  squirrel  or  a  lizard  from 
the  branches  with  as  much  apparent  ease  as  they 
swoop  down  upon  their  prey  in  the  open  lands. 
Rabbits,  mice,  small  birds,  Bob-whites,  and  Ducks 
help  to  make  up  their  bill  of  fare.  They  often 
boldly  enter  the  door-yard,  where  I  saw  one  of  the 
birds  strike  a  hen,  while  in  defense  of  her  brood, 
with  a  force  that  killed  her,  and  then  grasp  in 
its  claws  a  half-grown  chicken  and  triumphantly 
carry  it  away." 

This  is  the  last  of  the  three  brigands  of  the 
family,  and  after  following  their  gory  records  it  is 
pleasant  to  turn  to  the  citizens  of  better  repute. 

Bed-tailed  Hawk  :  Buteo  borealis. 
(Plate  XVI.  p.  272.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  breed- 
ing throughout  most  of  its  range. 

It  is  important  to  discriminate  between  the  slen- 
der, long-tailed,  darting  Accipiters  —  the  three 
black  sheep  of  the  Hawk  family,  the  Goshawk, 
Sharp-shinned,  and  Cooper's  Hawks  —  and  the 
large,  heavily-built,  shorter-tailed,  and  slow-fly- 
ing Buzzard  Hawks  or  Buteos,  which  number 
among  them  the  Red-tailed  and  Red-shouldered 
Hawks ;  for  the  larger  and  most  useful  Hawks 
have  been  confused  with  the  small,  injurious  ones, 
and  the  name  Hen  Hawk  and  Chicken  Hawk 


272  RED-TAILED  HAWK 

applied  ignorantly  to  the  members  of  the  benefi- 
cial genus.  Doctor  Fisher  says  that  the  name 
Hen  Hawk  is  responsible  for  much  of  the  false 
opinion  regarding  the  Red-tail,  and  states  that, 
"  while  fully  66  per  cent,  of  the  Red-tail's  food 
consists  of  injurious  mammals,  not  more  than 
7  per  cent,  consists  of  poultry,  and  it  is  probable 
that  a  large  proportion  of  the  poultry  and  game 
captured  by  it  and  the  other  Buzzard  Hawks  is 
made  up  of  old,  diseased,  or  otherwise  disabled 
fowls,  so  preventing  their  interbreeding  with  the 
sound  stock  and  hindering  the  spread  of  fatal 
epidemics."  Among  other  things,  the  Red-tail 
eats  ground-squirrels,  rabbits,  mice,  and  rats. 

This  splendid  bird  is  one  of  our  commonest 
Hawks,  and,  when  circling  in  the  sky,  can  often 
be  recognized  by  its  fan-shaped  reddish  tail. 

Though  these  Hawks  are  known  less  familiarly 
than  the  small  birds,  there  is  always  something 
virile  and  interesting  about  them,  and  it  is  a  never- 
failing  interest  to  watch  them  soar,  and  to  specu- 
late over  the  unsolved  problem  as  to  how  they 
do  it.  Nuttall  notes  that  they  sometimes  amuse 
themselves  by  ascending  to  a  vast  elevation  like 
the  aspiring  Eagle,  and  says  that  this  predilection 
for  the  cooler  regions  of  the  atmosphere  is  shared 
by  most  rapacious  birds,  apart  from  any  survey 
for  prey.  In  his  delightful  way,  the  old  orni- 
thologist describes  one  such  flight.  "  On  a  fine 
evening,  about  the  middle  of  January,  in  South 


r 


PLATE  XVI.  —  RED-TAILED   HAWK 

Adults,  upper  parts  dark  brown  ;  under  parts  white,  streaked 
with  brown ;  tail  reddish  brown.  Young,  similar,  but  tail 
brown  and  banded  with  black.  Length,  male,  20  inches ; 
female,  23  inches. 


EED-SHOULDEEED  HAWK  273 

Carolina,"  he  says,  "  I  observed  one  of  these  birds 
leave  its  withered  perch,  and  soaring  aloft  over 
the  wild  landscape,  in  a  mood  of  contemplation, 
begin  to  ascend  towards  the  thin  skirting  of  ele- 
vated clouds  above  him.  At  length  he  passed  this 
sublime  boundary,  and  was  now  perceived  and 
soon  followed  by  his  ambitious  mate,  and  in  a 
little  time,  by  circular  ascending  gyrations,  they 
both  disappeared  in  the  clear  azure  of  the  hea- 
vens ;  and  though  I  waited  for  their  reappearance 
half  an  hour,  they  still  continued  to  be  wholly 
invisible." 

Red-shouldered  Hawk:  Buteo  lineatus. 

Adults,  upper  parts  dark  brown;  shoulders  reddish  brown;  tail 
black,  with  four  to  five  white  cross-bars ;  under  parts  barred 
with  reddish  brown  and  white.  Young,  tail  without  distinct 
cross-bars ;  under  parts  whitish,  streaked  with  dark  brown. 
Length,  male,  about  ISj  inches  ;  female,  about  20j  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  west  to 
the  Plains,  north  to  Nova  Scotia  and  Manitoba. 

This  valuable  bird  has  also  been  damned  by  the 
name  of  Hen  Hawk  and  Chicken  Hawk,  though 
not  a  single  fowl  has  been  found  in  the  many 
stomachs  examined  by  Doctor  Fisher.  The  doc- 
tor's testimony  is  enforced  by  the  record  of  a  case 
in  which  a  pair  of  the  Red-shoulders  reared  their 
young  for  two  years  in  a  small,  swampy  piece  of 
woods  about  fifty  rods  from  a  poultry  farm  con- 
taining 800  young  chickens  and  400  ducks,  and  in 
all  the  two  years  were  never  seen  attempting  to 


274  RED-SHOULDERED  HAWK 

catch  one  of  the  fowls.  (See  '  Hawk  and  Owl 
Bulletin,'  p.  63.) 

As  for  birds,  Doctor  Fisher  says  that  this 
Hawk  flies  too  slowly  to  be  able  to  catch  them. 
Instead,  it  eats,  among  other  things,  mice,  snakes, 
grasshoppers,  earthworms,  snails,  spiders,  and 
centipedes.  Indeed,  90  per  cent,  of  its  food  is 
composed  of  injurious  mammals  and  insects. 

In  view  of  these  facts,  it  seems  strange  that  the 
bird's  good  work  should  be  interfered  with,  but, 
as  Mr.  Chapman  explains,  "  The  farmer  sees  a 
Hawk  sailing  in  wide  circles  above  him,  uttering 
its  fierce,  screaming  cry.  .  .  .  While  he  is  watch- 
ing it  a  sly,  low-flying  Accipiter  slips  by  him  and 
makes  a  sudden  dash  into  the  poultry-yard.  The 
farmer  does  not  discriminate  ;  a  Hawk  is  a  Hawk, 
and,  shaking  his  fist  at  the  bird  in  the  air,  he 
vows  vengeance  at  the  first  opportunity." 

Aside  from  the  economic  interest  attaching  to 
the  Red-shoulders,  their  domestic  relations  are 
worth  study.  Nuttall,  who  saw  pairs  of  the  birds 
in  the  south  in  winter,  tells  us  that  they  call 
affectionately  for  each  other,  and  that  the  male, 
when  discovering  his  mate,  caresses  her  much  in 
the  manner  of  the  Dove.  • 


BROAD-WINGED  HAWK  275 

Broad- winged  Hawk :  Buteo  latissimus. 

Adults,  upper  parts  dark  brown  ;  tail  with  two  light  bars  ;  under 
parts  heavily  barred  with  reddish  brown.  Young,  tail  with  three 
to  five  indistinct  bars ;  under  parts  white,  streaked  with  brown. 
Length,  male,  about  16  inches  ;  female,  about  16|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  south  to 
northern  South  America;  breeds  throughout  eastern  North 
America  from  New  Brunswick  and  Saskatchewan  southward 
to  Florida  and  Texas. 

This  is  another  of  the  beneficial  Buteo  family, 
and  its  food  consists  principally  of  insects,  small 
mammals,  reptiles,  batrachians,  and  occasionally 
a  young  or  disabled  bird. 

It  is  a  quiet  bird,  and  during  the  early  sum- 
mer, Doctor  Fisher  notes,  it  "  often  may  be  seen 
sitting  for  hours  on  the  dead  top  of  some  high 
tree.  At  other  times  it  is  found  on  the  smaller 
trees  in  the  deep  woods,  along  streams,  or  on  the 
ground,  where  its  food  is  more  often  procured. 
Although  sluggish  and  unusually  heavy  in  its 
flight,  it  is  capable  of  rapid  motion,  and  some- 
times soars  high  in  the  air." 

The  Broad-wing  is  the  common  Hawk  of  the 
Adirondacks,  and  nests  about  small  lakes,  where 
it  can  find  the  mice,  shrews,  and  squirrels  upon 
which  it  lives.  Its  call  note  is  said  to  resemble 
that  of  the  Kildeer  Plover. 


276  SPARROW  HAWK 

Sparrow  Hawk:  Falco  sparverius. 
(Fig.  167,  p.  277.) 

Adult  male,  upper  parts  reddish  brown  and  bluish,  barred  with 
black  ;  tail  reddish  brown,  with  a  broad  black  band  near  end ; 
black  stripes  on  sides  of  head ;  under  parts  reddish  brown,  some- 
what spotted  with  black.  Female,  back,  wings,  and  tail  barred 
with  black ;  under  parts  streaked  with  brown.  Length,  10 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  Florida  to  Hudson 
Bay,  and  winters  from  New  Jersey  southward  to  northern 
South  America. 

This  little  striped-faced  Hawk  is  often  found 
perched  on  a  dead  limb  of  a  tree,  or  seen,  like 
the  Kingbird,  hovering  in  mid  air  over  a  field, 
holding  itself  up  with  rapidly  beating  wings 
and  tail.  In  both  cases  it  is  probably  watching 
for  its  dinner,  waiting  to  pounce  on  some  unsus- 
pecting grasshopper  or  cricket,  for  they  supply 
its  table  in  summer.  In  winter  it  may  sometimes 
be  seen  on  poles  about  haystacks,  lying  in  wait  for 
a  more  substantial  meal  of  mice. 

In  some  sections  the  Sparrow  Hawk  is  known 
as  the  '  Killy  Hawk,'  from  its  cry  of  kUly-Jdlly- 
killy-killy. 

Curiously  enough,  while  the  other  Hawks  build 
large  twig  nests  high  in  trees,  the  Sparrow  Hawk 
hides  its  brood  inside  a  hollow  branch,  or  even  in 
a  Woodpecker's  deserted  nest,  sometimes  putting 
up  with  a  hole  too  small  for  it,  one  which  it  has 
much  ado  to  get  in  and  out  of. 

In  watching  the    aerial    performances   of  the 


SPARROW  HAWK 


277 


Sparrow  Hawk,  one  understands  how  the  flight  of 
birds  is  modified  by  their  feeding  habits.  The 
Ruffed  Grouse  walks  to  pastures  new,  and,  as  it 
springs  from  under  your  feet  and  goes  whirring 


FIG.  167. 
Sparrow  Hawk. 

away,  is  merely  seeking  new  cover,  which  it  easily 
reaches  after  a  short  flight  by  descending  in  a 
curve  to  the  earth.  The  Kingfisher  wings  his 


278  MARSH  HAWK 

way  with  the  level,  rapid  flight  of  one  who  has 
many  miles  to  travel  for  his  meal  —  whose  mind  is 
fixed  on  a  distant  goal.  Flycatchers,  Waxwings, 
and  Red-headed  Woodpeckers,  on  the  other  hand, 
make  short  parabolas,  leaving  their  perches  only 
to  seize  the  insects  that  happen  by.  The  Spar- 
rows and  Wrens  make  short,  labored  flights  from 
one  clump  of  weeds  or  bushes  to  another,  using 
their  wings  merely  to  transport  them  to  neighbor- 
ing feeding-grounds,  never  loitering  in  the  air. 
But  the  Swift,  the  Swallow,  and  the  Nighthawk 
have  business  in  the  air,  and  their  flight  is  a 
series  of  curves,  zigzags,  or  other  evolutions,  as 
they  hunt  back  and  forth,  snapping  up  the  insects 
that  are  in  the  skies.  The  Kingbird  and  Spar- 
row Hawk  also  have  business  in  the  air,  but  they 
use  it,  not  as  a  dining-table,  but  as  a  perch,  hov- 
ering on  wing  while  they  scrutinize  the  ground 
beneath  for  their  food. 

Marsh  Hawk  :    Circus  hudsonius. 
(Plate  XVII.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  in  general,  south 
to  Panama. 

The  female  and  young  Marsh  Hawks  can 
always  be  known  as  large,  dark  birds  with  white 
at  the  base  of  the  tail,  for  the  round  white  spot 
can  be  seen  rods  away  as  the  Hawk  slowly  beats 
over  the  face  of  the  meadow  in  its  search  for 
mice.  The  adult  male  is  still  more  strikingly 


PLATE  XVII. —MARSH   HAWK 

Adult  male,  upper  parts  gray  ;  under  parts  pearl  gray  or  white  ; 
base  of  tail  white.  Adult  female,  upper  parts  dark  brown  ; 
under  parts  reddish  brown,  streaked ;  base  of  tail  white. 
Young,  similar  to  female.  Length,  male,  19  inches ;  female, 
22  inches. 


MAESII  HAWK  279 

marked,  and  unless  you  have  been  warned,  you 
will  find  it  hard  to  believe  him  a  Hawk,  for  he  is 
a  most  distinguished-looking  beauty,  as  pearly 
gray  as  a  Sea  Gull. 

In  his  '  Hawk  and  Owl  Bulletin,'  Doctor 
Fisher  deplores  the  fact  that  for  its  occasional 
poultry  dinner  the  Marsh  Hawk  is  shot,  as  he 
says,  at  sight,  quite  "  regardless  or  ignorant  of 
the  fact  that  it  preserves  an  immense  quantity  of 
grain,  thousands  of  fruit-trees,  and  innumerable 
nests  of  game  birds  by  destroying  the  vermin 
which  eat  the  grain,  girdle  the  trees,  and  devour 
the  eggs  and  young  of  the  birds." 

It  is  "  unquestionably  one  of  the  most  benefi- 
cial, as  it  is  one  of  our  most  abundant  Hawks," 
the  doctor  states,  "  and  its  presence  and  increase 
should  be  encouraged  in  every  way  possible,  not 
only  by  protecting  it  by  law,  but  by  disseminat- 
ing a  knowledge  of  the  benefits  it  confers.  It  is 
probably  the  most  active  and  determined  foe  of 
meadow  mice  and  ground  squirrels,  destroying 
greater  numbers  of  these  pests  than  any  other 
species,  and  this  fact  alone  should  entitle  it  to 
protection,  even  if  it  destroyed  no  other  injurious 
animals." 

Although  the  Marsh  Hawk  is  usually  seen  fly- 
ing low  over  the  ground,  in  the  spring  he  imi- 
tates the  Nighthawk,  doing  his  wooing  in  the  sky 
with  many  most  remarkable  flourishes,  presumably 
adapted  to  the  taste  of  the  ladies  of  the  marshes. 


280  OSPEEY 

Sometimes  he  mounts  aloft  for  the  express  pur- 
pose of  dropping  to  the  earth  in  a  series  of  som- 
ersaults ;  at  others,  as  Mr.  Thompson  describes 
it,  ".he  flies  across  the  marsh  in  a  course  which 
would  outline  a  gigantic  saw,  each  of  the  de- 
scending parts  being  done  in  a  somersault  and 
accompanied  by  the  screeching  notes  which  form 
the  only  love-song  within  the  range  of  his  lim- 
ited vocal  powers." 

He  is  not  only  an  ardent  wooer  but  a  devoted 
mate,  carrying  food  to  the  brooding  bird,  who  flies 
out  to  meet  him  and  dexterously  seizes  the  morsel 
which  he  drops  in  her  talons. 

Osprey  ;    Fish  Hawk  :  Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis. 
(Plate  XVIII.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;  breeds  from 
Florida  to  Hudson  Bay  and  Alaska  ;  winters  from  South  Caro- 
lina to  northern  South  America. 

"  This  species  lives  in  colonies,  and  also  in 
pairs,  along  our  coasts,  returning  year  after  year 
to  the  same  nesting  ground.  Its  food  consists 
solely  of  fish,  which  as  a  rule  it  captures  alive. 
Winging  its  way  slowly  over  the  water,  it  keeps 
a  keen  watch  for  fish  which  may  appear  near  the 
surface.  When  one  is  observed  it  pauses,  hovers 
a  moment,  and  then  closing  its  wings,  descends 
with  a  speed  and  directness  of  aim  that  generally 
insure  success.  It  strikes  the  water  with  great 
force,  making  a  loud  splash,  and  frequently  dis- 


PLATE  XVIII.  —  FISH  HAWK 

Upper  parts  brown ;  head,  nape,  and  under  parts  white.    Length, 
about  23  inches. 


OSPEEY 


281 


appears  for  a  moment  before  rising  with  its  prey 
grasped  in  its  powerful  talons.  As  a  rule,  it 
carries  its  food  to  some  favorite  perch,  there  'to 
devour  it.  It  is  said  that  Fish  Hawks  have  been 
known  to  strike  fish  so  large  that,  unable  to  re- 
lease their  hold,  they  were  drawn  under  water  and 
drowned. 

"  When  protected,  Fish  Hawks,  like  many 
other  birds,  to  a  large  degree  lose  their  fear  of 
man.  In  the  4  Auk,'  for  October,  1892,  will  be 
found  a  valuable  article  by  Dr.  C.  S.  Allen,  on 
the  habits  of  this  species,  as  observed  by  him  on 
Plum  Island,  N.  Y.,  where  for  forty  years  the 
birds  had  been  protected  by  the  owner  of  the  is- 
land." (Chapman.) 

In  the  Adirondacks,  on  an  inlet  between  two  of 
the  lakes  of  the  'Fulton 
Chain,'  a  pair  of  Fish 
Hawks  had  a  nest  for 
many  years,  and  though 
sportsmen's  boats  passed 
under  their  very  tree  on 
the  way  up  the  lakes,  the 
birds,  protected  by  the 
chivalry  of  the  guides, 
were  so  tame  they  would 
perch  beside  the  nest  un- 
moved while  the  gunners 
looked  up  at  them. 

It  is  said  that  the  Fish 


FIG.  168. 


Grasping  foot  of 
Fish  Hawk, 


282  BALD  EAGLE 

Hawks  sometimes  combine  to  drive  away  the  Bald 
Eagles,  but  never  attack  them  singly. 

"The  foot  of  the  Fish  Hawk  is  remarkably 
adapted  to  holding  its  slippery  prey,  the  toes  hav- 
ing pads  with  horny  spikes  in  addition  to  sharp 
curved  nails  (Fig.  168,  p.  281). 

Bald  Eagle  :  Haliceetus  leucocephalus. 
(Plate  XIX.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION. — North  America,  breeding  through- 
out its  range. 

The  Bald  Eagle,  being  our  national  emblem,  is 
familiar  to  all  good  Americans,  but  in  the  north 
the  sight  of  the  splendid  bird  itself  is  a  rare  and 
exciting  one.  In  Florida  the  tourist  is  more  often 
privileged  to  see  it,  and  if  the  privilege  is  not 
abusedj  many  interesting  performances  may  be 
witnessed.  Wilson  gives  a  spirited  account  of 
the  Eagle's  capture  of  a  wild  Swan,  and  also 
mentions  the  bird's  habit  of  making  the  Fish 
Hawk  give  up  the  fish  it  has  caught,  while  Doc- 
tor Ralph  gives  hints  of  most  interesting  nesting 
habits  to  be  seen  by  the  close  and  unobtrusive 
observer.  The  Eagle  lives  largely  on  wounded 
water-fowl  and  fish.  In  the  west  and  southwest 
the  Spaniards  value  it  for  the  number  of  squirrels 
it  kills.  A  curious  case  is  recorded  of  an  Eagle 
which  was  shot  and  found  to  have  on  its  neck  a 
locket  in  the  form  of  the  bleached  skull  of  a 
weasel,  hanging  by  its  firmly  set  teeth.  In  the 


PLATE  XIX. —BALD  EAGLE 


Head,   neck,   and   tail  white  ;    rest   of   plumage    dark   brown. 
Length,  male,  about  32f  inches  ;  female,  35|  inches. 


SWALLOW-TAILED  KITE  283 

greater  part  of  the  country  the  Eagle  is  harmless 
and  should  be  protected  ;  but  in  places  where  it 
cannot  get  its  natural  food,  and  so  carries  off 
sheep  and  other  domestic  animals,  it  should  not 
be  allowed  to  become  too  abundant. 


Swallow-tailed  Kite  :  Elanoides  forficatus. 
(Plate  XX.  p.  284.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  United  States,  north  to  North 
Carolina  and  Minnesota,  and  casually  to  Massachusetts,  Mani- 
toba, and  Assiniboia,  southward  throughout  Central  and 
South  America,  breeding  locally  throughout  its  range. 

As  its  name  suggests,  the  Swallow-tailed  Kite 
has  a  forked  tail  like  that  of  the  Barn  Swallow. 
The  Barn  Swallow,  the  Nighthawk,  and  the 
Long-tailed  Pigeons  rank  with  it  in  contrast  to 
the  Short-tailed  Sparrows,  Wrens,  and  Swifts ; 
and  as  the  Kite  has  long,  slender  wings,  it  is  ena- 
bled to  live  almost  exclusively  in  air.  Just  what 
part  the  tail  plays  in  the  flight  of  birds  is  a  most 
interesting  question.  Though  many  of  its  pecul- 
iar developments  seem  to  be  of  purely  aesthetic 
value,  merely  sexual  characters,  other  tails  appear 
to  have  weight  in  the  more  ordinary  affairs  of 
life  —  such  as  steering  for  a  fly.  Careful  observa- 
tions will  do  much  to  clear  up  all  such  problems, 
it  is  to  be  hoped,  within  the  next  few  years  of 
extended  field-work. 

The  Kite,  in  any  case,  is  a  true  aeronaut.  As 
it  flies  it  will  actually  reach  down  and  eat  the 


284  SWALLOW-TAILED  KITE 

snake  that  it  holds  in  its  talons  ;  and  it  has  also 
been  seen  by  Doctor  Merriam  to  dart  down  and 
pick  a  wasp's  nest  from  the  underside  of  a  leaf, 
flying  off  eating  the  contents  as  it  went. 

In  cotton  fields  the  Kites  turn  their  acrobatic 
skill  to  good  purpose,  descending  to  feed  on  the 
cotton  worms.  They  also  eat  a  great  many  grass- 
hoppers, but  their  favorite  foods  are  snakes,  liz- 
ards, frogs,  and  insects.  In  Florida,  where  snakes 
can  readily  be  dispensed  with,  the  Kites  eat  so 
many  they  are  known  as  '  Snake  Birds.' 

This  is  surely  a  good  record,  and  puts  the  Kites 
on  the  '  white  list '  of  Hawks.  Indeed,  the  more 
we  study  the  beneficial  Hawks  the  more  we  are 
impressed  with  the  contrast  between  them  and 
the  three  black  sheep  on  the  black  list.  It  is 
indeed  fortunate  that  the  blue  Goshawk  is  with 
us  only  in  fall  and  winter,  and  that  the  Sharp- 
shinned  is  so  small  it  can  manage  quarry  little 
larger  than  small  birds  ;  for  that  narrows  down 
the  evil  done  by  the  black-listers  to  the  depreda- 
tions of  Cooper's  Hawk  (see  Fig.  166,  p.  270), 
the  true  Chicken  or  Hen  Hawk,  who  destroys  both 
poultry  and  Doves,  and  whose  sins  are  so  many 
that  they  are  borne  by  a  large  number  of  those 
who  are  innocent  of  game  dinners.  That  we 
make  no  mistakes  in  identification  in  future,  and 
lay  the  blame  only  where  it  belongs,  let  us  look 
carefully  over  the  white-list  birds  once  more. 
While  the  injurious  Hawks  are  slender,  long- 


PLATE  XX.  — SWALLOW-TAILED  KITE 

Head  and  under  parts  white  ;  upper  parts  and  long,  forked  tail 
black,  with  metallic  reflections.     Length,  24  inches. 


KEY   TO  FALCONS,   HAWKS,   AND  EAGLES      285 

tailed,  and  swift-flying  (see  Plate  XI Y.  p.  266, 
Plate  XV.  p.  268,  and  Fig.  166,  p.  270),  the  bene- 
ficial Buteos  are  large,  shorter-tailed,  and  slow- 
flying  (see  Plate  XVI.  p.  272),  and  are  often 
seen  soaring  high  in  the  sky.  Of  their  number 
the  Eed- tailed  hunts  in  open  ground,  the  Red- 
shouldered  and  Broad-winged  mainly  in  wood- 
land. The  Broad-wing  may  be  further  discrimi- 
nated by  its  smaller  size.  The  Sparrow  Hawk  is 
the  small  Hawk  with  dark  face-stripes  seen  hov- 
ering over  the  meadows  (see  Fig.  167,  p.  277), 
while  the  Marsh  Hawk  is  the  large,  white-rumped 
mouser  seen  beating  low  over  the  field.  (See 
Plate  XVII.  p.  278.)  The  Turkey  and  Black 
Vultures  are  the  two  scavengers  ;  both  are  pri- 
marily southern  birds,  and  the  Black  Vulture  is 
rarely  seen  north  of  the  Carolinas.  The  Kite  is 
the  Hawk  Swallow  (see  Plate  XX.  p.  284)  ;  and 
the  Fish  Hawk  (see  Plate  XVIII.  p.  280)  hunts 
over  rivers,  lakes,  and  along  seashores,  and  is 
sometimes  forced  to  give  up  its  prey  to  the  Bald 
Eagle.  (See  Plate  XIX.  p.  282.) 

Key  to  Falcons,  Hawks,  and  Eagles. 

1.  Head  and  neck  mainly  white. 

2.  Tail  as  well  as  head  white  ;  under  parts  dark  brown  or 
blackish p.  282.    BALD  EAGLE. 

2'.  Tail  not  white;  under  parts  white. 
3.  Tail  forked  ;  head  wholly  white  ;  back  glossy  bluish 
black.     Southern. 

p.  283.     SWALLOW-TAILED  KITE. 


286      KEY  TO  FALCONS,   HAWKS,   AND  EAGLES 

3'.  Tail  not  forked  ;  sides  and  back  of  head  marked  with 
blackish ;  back  brown.     Found  near  water. 

p.  280.    FISH  HAWK. 

1'.  Head  and  neck  not  mainly  white. 
4.  Small  (length   10  to  13  inches). 

5.  Black  stripes  on  sides  of  head ;  under  parts  sparsely 

spotted  ;  back  and  tail  mainly  reddish  brown. 
Common.  Hovers  over  meadows  for  grasshoppers 
and  mice p.  276.  SPARROW  HAWK. 

5'.  No  black  stripes  on  back  of  head ;  under  parts  everyr 
where  barred  with  reddish  brown  and  white  ;  upper 
parts  slaty  gray.  Darts  after  small  birds. 

p.  268.     SHARP-SHINNED  HAWK. 

4'.  Larger  (length   15  to  25  inches). 

6.  Base  of  tail  conspicuously  white. 

Upper  parts  dark  brown  ;   under  parts  brownish. 
Female  and  young .     .     p.  278.     MARSH  HAWK. 

6'.  Base  of  tail  not  conspicuously  white. 
7.  Tail  strikingly  reddish  ;   upper  parts  dark  brown  ; 
under  parts  white,  streaked  with  brown.  Common, 
mousing  over  meadows. 

p.  271.    RED-TAILED  HAWK. 

7'.  Tail  not  reddish. 
8.  Upper  parts  ashy  gray  or  bluish  gray. 

9.  Upper  parts  bluish  gray ;  under  parts  finely  barred 

with  gray  and  white.     Winter  visitant. 

p.  266.     GOSHAWK. 

9'.  Upper   parts   ashy   gray  ;    under   parts   whitish. 
Adult  male  ....    p.  278.     MARSH  HAWK. 

8'.  Upper  parts  dark  brown ;  under  parts  barred  with 
reddish  brown  and  white. 

10.  Shoulders  reddish  brown.     Common  in  woods. 

p.  273.  RED-SHOULDERED  HAWK. 


PLATE  XXI.  —  SCREECH    OWL 

Adukts,  small,  with  ear-tufts  conspicuous.  Reddish-brotcn  phase  : 
Upper  parts  warm,  reddish  brown  ;  under  parts  white,  washed 
with  reddish  brown  and  streaked  with  black.  Gray  phase : 
Upper  parts  grayish,  streaked  with  gray  and  black.  Young, 
entire  plumage  regularly  barred  with  grayish  or  reddish  brown 
and  white.  Length,  about  9-J  inches. 


SCEEECH  OWL  287 

10'.  Shoulders  not  reddish  brown. 
11.  Tail  long,  with  three  light  hands ;  under  parts 
lightly    and    uniformly    barred.       Destroys 
poultry    ...     p.  269.     COOPER'S  HAWK. 

11'.  Tail  short,  with  two  light  bands ;  breast  heav- 
ily barred  with  brown  ;  under  parts  lightly 
barred.  Found  in  woods. 

p.  275.     BROAD-WINGED  HAWK. 

Screech  Owl :  Megascops  asio. 
(Plate  XXL) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  north- 
ward to  New  Brunswick  and  Minnesota  ;  generally  resident 
throughout  its  range.  Various  forms  are  found  throughout 
the  wooded  portions  of  the  United  States  and  Mexico. 

Of  the  small  Owls,  the  Screech  Owl  is  the  only 
one  with  large  ear-tufts,  and  so  may  be  easily 
known,  although  its  color  varies,  being  sometimes 
reddish  brown  and  sometimes  gray.  We  are  for- 
tunate enough  to  have  this  little  Owl  as  a  familiar 
neighbor  in  our  orchards  and  about  our  farm- 
houses, where  it  comes  out  at  night  and  inspects 
corn -cribs  and  grain-stacks  for  mice,  devouring 
in  its  time  many  thousands  of  the  little  pests. 
Doctor  Fisher  speaks  of  the  pretty  footprints  of 
mice  which  mark  the  snow  after  a  winter's  night, 
and  says  that  when  a  track  stops  abruptly,  if  the 
faint  impression  of  a  pair  of  wing-tips  is  visible 
beside  it,  one  can  guess  what  has  happened.  Be- 
sides ridding  us  of  mice,  the  Screech  Owl  also 
does  good  by  destroying  House  Sparrows. 


288  LONG-EARED   OWL 

Major  Bendire  believes  that  these  Owls  remain 
mated  through  life,  and  quotes  an  interesting 
account  of  their  courtship  from  Mr.  Lynds  Jones. 
"  The  female  was  perched  in  a  dark  leafy  tree," 
his  informant  writes,  "  apparently  oblivious  of  the 
presence  of  her  mate,  who  made  frantic  efforts 
through  a  series  of  bowings,  wing-raisings,  and 
snappings  to  attract  her  attention.  These  antics 
were  continued  for  some  time,  varied  by  hops 
from  branch  to  branch  near  her,  accompanied  by 
that  forlorn,  almost  despairing  wink  peculiar  to 
this  bird.  Once  or  twice  I  thought  I  detected 
sounds  of  inward  grpanings,  as  he,  beside  himself 
with  his  unsuccessful  approaches,  sat  in  utter 
dejection." 

The  Screech  Owl's  nesting  site  is  almost  always 
a  hollow  in  a  tree,  often  a  Woodpecker's  hole, 
and  it  has  been  known  to  accept  a  bird-box  for 
its  home.  It  is  interesting  to  hear  that  both  lit- 
tle parent  Owls  sometimes  sit  on  the  eggs  at  the 
same  time.  The  eggs,  like  those  of  all  Owls,  are 
white. 

Long-eared  Owl :  Asio  wilsonianus. 
(Plate  XXII.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  ;  breeds  from 
Nova  Scotia  and  Manitoba  southward  to  the  Gulf  states  and 
table-lands  of  Mexico. 

In  the  Long-eared  Owl  we  have  one  of  the 
interesting  cases  where  unconscious  protective 


4PLATE  XXII.  —  LONG-EARED   OWL 

Ear-tufts  an  inch  or  more  long1 ;  upper  parts  dark  brown,  marked, 
with  yellowish  ;  under  parts  white,  longitudinally  streaked 
with  brown  ;  facial  disk  yellowish.  Length,  about  15  inches. 


LONG-EARED  OWL  289 

coloration  is  combined  with  conscious  protective 
attitudes.  When  the  Owl  is  frightened,  it  rises 
up,  "  draws  the  feathers  close  to  the  body,  and 
erects  the  ear-tufts,  resembling  in  appearance  a 
piece  of  weather-beaten  bark  more  than  a  bird."  l 
When  not  able  to  employ  this  device  effectively, 
the  Owl  resorts  to  another.  Major  Bendire  sur- 
prised one  while  she  was  killing  a  ground  squir- 
rel, and  was  startled  by  the  sudden  transformation 
that  took  place  in  her.  "  All  at  once  she  seemed 
to  expand  to  several  times  her  normal  size," 
he  says,  "  every  feather  raised  and  standing  at  a 
right  angle  from  the  body ;  the  wings  were  fully 
spread,  thrown  up  and  obliquely  backward,  their 
outer  edges  touching  each  other  over  and  behind 
the  head,  which  likewise  looked  abnormally  large." 
This  was  accompanied  by  a  hissing  noise.  But 
in  spite  of  this  bravado,  the  bird  found  herself 
afraid  to  stand  her  ground,  and,  "  collapsing  to  her 
normal  size,  flew  off,  leaving  her  quarry  behind." 
Doctor  Fisher  proclaims  the  Long-eared  Owl 
one  of  our  most  beneficial  species,  for  it  destroys 
vast  numbers  of  injurious  rodents  and  seldom 
touches  insectivorous  birds.  It  is  preeminently  a 
mouser. 

1  Hawk  and  Owl  Bulletin,  p.  143,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agri- 
culture. 


290  SHOET-EAEED  OWL 

Short-eared   Owl :  Asio  accipitrinus. 
(Plate  XXIII.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Nearly  cosmopolitan,  breeding 
in  the  United  States  locally  from  Virginia  and  Illinois  north- 
ward. 

This  Owl  differs  widely  from  its  relatives.  It 
is  much  less  nocturnal,  and  rarely  even  alights  on 
a  tree.  It  is  a  bird  of  the  marshes  and  flies  near 
the  ground,  like  the  Marsh  Hawk.  It  lives  mainly 
on  meadow  mice,  gophers,  grasshoppers,  crickets, 
and  other  insects,  and  deserves  the  fullest  protec- 
tion. 

A  strong  piece  of  evidence  in  its  favor  is  found 
in  Yarrell's  '  British  Birds.'  "  Undoubtedly  field 
mice,  and  especially  those  of  the  short-tailed  group 
or  voles,  are  their  chief  objects  of  prey,  and  when 
these  animals  increase  in  an  extraordinary  and 
unaccountable  way,  as  they  sometimes  do,  so  as  to 
become  extremely  mischievous,  Owls,  particularly 
of  this  species,  flock  to  devour  them.  Thus  there 
are  records  of  a  '  sore  plague  of  strange  mice '  in 
Kent  and  Essex  in  the  year  1580  or  1581,  and 
again  in  the  county  last  mentioned  in  1648.  In 
1754  the  same  thing  is  said  to  have  occurred  at 
Hilgay,  near  Downham  Market,  in  Norfolk  ;  while 
within  the  present  century  the  Forest  of  Dean,  in 
Gloucestershire,  and  some  parts  of  Scotland  have 
been  similarly  infested.  In  all  these  cases,  Owls 
are  mentioned  as  thronging  to  the  spot,  and  ren- 


PLATE  XXIII.  —  SHORT-EARED  OWL 

Ear-tufts  short ;  upper  parts  brown,  marked  with  huffy  ;  under 
parts  streaked  with  dark  brown.     Length,  15J  inches. 


PLATE  XXIV.  — BARRED  OWL 

Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  marked  with  white ;  breast  barred, 
and  belly  and  sides  streaked  with  brown  and  white  ;  bill  yel- 
low. Length,  20  inches. 


BARE  ED   OWL  291 

dering  the  greatest  service  in  extirpating  the  pests. 
The  like  has  also  been  observed  in  Scandinavia 
during  the  wonderful  irruptions  of  lemmings  and 
other  small  rodents  to  which  some  districts  are 
liable,  and  it  would  appear  that  the  Short-eared 
Owl  is  the  species  which  plays  a  principal  part  in 
getting  rid  of  the  destructive  horde." 

Barred   Owl ;  Hoot  Owl :  Syrnium  nebulosum. 
(Plate  XXIV.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  west  to 
the  Plains  ;  northward  to  Nova  Scotia  and  Manitoba ;  resident 
except  at  the  northern  limit  of  its  range. 

The  larger  part  of  the  food  of  the  Barred  Owl 
consists  of  mammals,  including  among  them  the 
most  destructive  rodents  with  which  the  farmer 
has  to  contend.  Heavily  wooded  swamps  and 
hemlock  forests  are  the  favorite  haunts  of  this 
retiring  Owl.  It  is  one  of  the  noisiest  of  its 
family,  and  probably  oftener  heard  than  any 
other.  Adirondack  campers  are  often  startled  by 
its  cry  at  night,  although,  as  Major  Bendire  re- 
marks, "  a  rapidly  passing  shadow  distinctly  cast 
on  the  snow-covered  ground  is  often  the  sole  cause 
of  its  presence  being  betrayed  as  it  glides  silently 
by  the  hunter's  camp-fire  in  the  still  hours  of  a 
moonlight  night."  Its  hoot  is  given  as  whoo-whoo- 
whoo,  wJio-whoo-to-whoo-ah,  uttered  in  an  interro- 
gatory tone. 

Doctor  Fisher  tells  us  that  "  it  is  the  common- 


292  GEE  AT  HORNED  OWL 

est  species  of  rapacious  bird  throughout  the  ex- 
tensive swamps  covered  by  cypress  and  other 
growths  which  abound  in  the  coast  region  of  the 
south,  where  as  many  as  fifteen  or  twenty  may  be 
seen  in  a  day's  tramp.  Although  not  usually  seen 
near  habitations,  it  sometimes  wanders  into  large 
towns,  either  in  search  of  food  or  the  shelter 
afforded  by  some  attractive  clump  of  evergreens." 

Great  Horned  Owl :  Bubo  mrginianus. 
(Plate  XXV.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  north- 
ward to  Labrador  and  southward  to  Costa  Rica ;  resident 
throughout  its  range. 

Where  wild  game  is  scarce  and  poultry  plenty, 
the  Great  Horned  Owl  ranks  with  the  three  brig- 
and Hawks,  and  should  be  studied  closely,  that 
its  sins  may  not  be  laid  at  the  door  of  the  deserv- 
ing members  of  the  family.  But  where  wild 
game  is  plenty  the  Owl's  record  is  better,  for  it 
turns  its  attention  to  rabbits  and  other  '  small 
dere  '  that  make-  sad  havoc  with  the  crops. 

So  each  case  should  be  judged  on  its  own  mer- 
its. As  Doctor  Fisher  says,  ..."  a  bird  so  pow- 
erful and  voracious  may  at  times  be  a  source  of 
great  benefit,  while  at  other  times  it  may  be  the 
cause  of  great  damage.  Now,  the  serious  inroads 
it  makes  on  the  tenants  of  the  poultry-yard,  as  well 
as  the  destruction  of  many  game  and  song  birds, 
would  seem  to  call  for  the  total  suppression  of 


PLATE  XXV. —GREAT  HORNED   OWL 

Ear-tufts  nearly  two  inches  long- ;  upper  parts  mottled  with 
yellowish  brown  and  black;  facial  disk  yellowish  brown; 
white  patch  on  throat ;  rest  of  under  parts  buffy,  barred  with 
black.  Length,  22  inches. 


BARN  OWL  293 

the  species.  Again,  when  engaged  chiefly  in  the 
capture  of  injurious  rodents  which  threaten  the 
very  existence  of  the  crops,  it  is  the  farmer's  most 
valuable  ally,  and  consequently  should  be  most 
carefully  protected." 

The  Great  Horned  Owl  lives  mainly  in  heavy 
forests.  I  have  often  heard  it  in  the  night  at 
Lake  Placid  in  the  Adirondacks,  and  its  loud, 
deep-toned  whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo,  whoo,  whooo  was  a 
pleasant  reminder  of  the  unspoiled  depths  of  the 
forest. 

Barn  Owl ;  Monkey-faced  Owl :  Strix  pratincola. 
(Plate  XXVI.  p.  294.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Southern  and  -western  United 
States ;  occasionally  found  as  far  north  as  Massachusetts ; 
breeds  from  Long  Island  southward  to  Mexico. 

The  Barn  Owl  is  one  of  the  most  beneficial  of 
rapacious  birds,  its  food  consisting  of  rodents 
that  are  a  curse  to  the  country  ^  they  inhabit  — 
the  gopher  and  ground  squirrel  in  the  west,  the 
cotton  rat  in  the  south,  and  various  species  of 
rats  and  mice  in  the  north. 

An  interesting  account  of  a  family  of  Barn 
Owls  'is  given  in  the  *  Cincinnati  Journal  of 
Natural  History,'  by  Charles  Dury.  They  lived 
in  the  tower  of  the  Town  Hall  in  Glendale.  Two 
naturalists  climbed  the  tower  and  raising  the  trap- 
door at  the  top,  saw  a  curious  sight.  The  floor 
and  ledges  were  covered  with  the  cast-up  pellets 


294  SNOWY  OWL 

of  the  birds,  made  up  of  the  hair  and  bones 
of  the  smaller  rodents,  mainly  mice.  "  There 
must  have  been  the  debris  of  several  thousand 
mice  and  rats,"  Mr.  Dury  assures  us.  "  But  the 
strangest  part  of  the  curious  habitation  was  the 
flock  of  domestic  Pigeons  that  were  living  seem- 
ingly on  intimate  terms  with  the  Owls,  and,  judg- 
ing from  the  old  Pigeons'  nests,  I  presume  the 
Pigeons  had  actually  nested  and  reared  young 
there.  This  seems  to  show  the  food  of  this  Owl 
to  be  almost  exclusively  mice  and  rats,  and  proves 
it  to  be  a  species  of  the  greatest  economic  value." 
It  is  interesting  to  know  that  a  pair  of  these 
birds  have  for  years  nested  at  intervals  in  one  or 
other  of  the  towers  of  the  Smithsonian  Institu- 
tion at  Washington. 

Snowy  Owl :  Nyctea  nyctea. 
(Plate  XXVII.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Northern  part  of  northern  hem- 
isphere ;  breeds  from  Labrador  northward,  in  North  America 
to  Arctic  Ocean,  and  wanders  southward  in  winter  regularly 
to  the  northern  United  States,  and  occasionally  to  Texas  and 
California. 

A  great  deal  of  interest  is  excited  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  Snowy  Owl  in  the  neighborhood 
in  winter,  for  it  is  a  large  bird,  dressed  in  the 
white  feathers  that  enable  it  to  come  unawares 
upon  its  prey  in  its  arctic  home.  Audubon  gives 
a  most  interesting  account  of  the  way  he  saw  these 


PLATE  XXVI.  —  BARN   OWL 

Upper  parts  yellowish  brown,  washed  with  gray  ;  under  parts 
white,  washed  with  buffy  and  finely  spotted  with  black ; 
brownish  ring  around  facial  disk.  Length,  18  inches. 


m 


PLATE  XXVII.  — SNOWY   OWL 
White,  more  or  less  barred  with  brown.     Length,  25  inches. 


OWLS  295 

Owls  catch  fish.  They  would  lie  down  flat  on  the 
rocks  beside  a  pot-hole,  as  if  asleep,  but  the  mo- 
ment a  fish  rose  to  the  surface,  would  thrust  out 
the  foot  next  the  water,  and  with  the  quickness  of 
lightning  seize  the  fish  and  draw  it  out. 

Unlike  most  of  the  Owls,  the  Snowy  is  diurnal 
in  habit,  but  it  is  most  active  in  early  morning 
and  toward  evening. 

Looking  back  over  this  interesting  group  of 
birds,  we  see  how  easily  they  may  be  discrimi- 
nated. Those  with  ears  are  the  Screech  Owl,  the 
Long-eared,  the  Short-eared,  and  Great  Horned 
(Plate  XXI.  p.  287,  Plate  XXII.  p.  288,  Plate 
XXIII.  p.  290,  Plate  XXV.  p.  292).  Of  these 
the  Screech  Owl  is  the  smallest,  the  Great 
Horned  tMe  largest.  The  Great  Horned  has 
broad  ears  wide  apart,  while  the  Long-eared  and 
Short-eared  have  narrow  ears  set  close  together, 
but  the  length  of  the  ear  is  enough  to  distinguish 
them.  The  Barred  Owl.  the  Barn,  and  the  Snowy 
have  round  heads  without  ear-tufts  and  cannot  be 
confused  (Plate  XXIV.  p.  290,  Plate  XXVI.  p. 
294,  Plate  XXVII.  p.  294). 

As  a  group  the  Owls  supplement  the  good  work 
of  the  Hawks ;  for  while  the  Hawks  kill  diurnal 
mammals,  the  Owls  kill  nocturnal  ones.  More- 
over, as  the  Owls  usually  remain  on  their  nesting 
grounds  during  the  winter,  they  continue  their 
good  work  after  the  Hawks  have  gone  south. 


296  KEY  TO   OWLS 


Key  to  Owls. 
1.  Small. 

Ear-tufts  conspicuous  ;  upper  parts  reddish  brown  or 
grayish  ;  under  parts  whitish,  streaked  with  black  and 
washed  with  reddish  brown  or  grayish.  Nests  near 
houses.  Tremulous  wailing  whistle. 

p.  287.    SCREECH  OWL. 
1'.  Large. 

2.  Without  ear-tufts. 
3.  Plumage  mainly  white. 

Lightly  barred  with  brownish.     Winter  visitant. 

p  294.     SNOWY  OWL. 

3'.  Plumage  not  mainly  white. 

4.  Face  and  under  parts  white  or  buffy,  with  or  without 
small  black  spots  ;  upper  parts  yellowish  brown. 
Southern p.  293.  BARN  OWL. 

4'.  Face  and  under  parts  dull  grayish  brown  ;  barred 
across  the  breast  and  streaked  lengthwise  of  the 
belly  ;  upper  parts  grayish  brown. 

p.  291.    BARRED  OWL. 

2'.  With  ear-tufts. 

5.  Size  very  large  (length    about  2  feet);  breast  with 
cross-bars.     Found  in  deep  forests. 

p.  292.     GREAT  HORNED  OWL. 

5'.  Size  medium  (length  about  15  inches).    Breast  with- 
out cross-bars. 

6.  Under  parts  buffy,  streaked  with  brown.  Ear-tufts 
inconspicuous.  Frequents  grassy  marshes. 

p.  290.     SHORT-EARED  OWL. 


BIRDS  OF  PEEY  297 

6'.  Under  parts  whitish,  streaked  with  brown.    Ear-tufts 
conspicuous.     Wholly  nocturnal. 

p.  288.      LONG-EARED  OWL. 

As  an  Order  the  birds  of  prey  are  peculiarly  well 
adapted  to  their  work  of  keeping  down  the  harm- 
ful insects  and  mammals.  Their  talons  are  sharp 
and  curved,  for  seizing  and  holding  their  prey 
(see  Fig.  207,  p.  351)  ;  their  bills  sharp  and 
hooked,  to 'tear  it  apart  (Figs.  199,  200,  p.  350) ; 
their  eyesight  is  extraordinarily  acute,  their 
wings  strong  and  enduring,  and  their  digestion 
so  rapid  that  they  can  eat  great  quantities  of 
food.  They  save  time  by  swallowing  their  food 
bones  and  all,  having,  like  the  Vireos,  Flycatchers, 
Crows,  and  Kingfisher,  power  to  regurgitate  such 
indigestible  parts  as  bones,  feathers,  fur,  and 
hair,  their  stomachs  —  after  the  absorption  of  the 
softer  parts  of  their  food  —  working  the  hard 
parts  up  into  round  balls  or  'pellets,'  in  which 
the  sharp  materials  that  might  injure  the  mucous 
membrane  are  coated  with  soft  fur  or  hair. 

With  all  these  special  adaptations,  the  birds  of 
prey  do  more  good  than  almost  any  other  birds, 
and  facts  regarding  their  food  habits  should  be 
noised  abroad,  as  they  are  most  unjustly  perse- 
cuted by  those  who  should  be  their  best  friends. 

The  characters  of  the  birds  of  prey  are  so  dis- 
tinct that  every  one  must  know  them.  With 
them  we  fill  the  last  gap  in  the  Orders  we  have 
examined,  up  to  that  of  the  Perching  Birds,  and 


298 


LOGGERHEAD  SHRIKE 


it  will  be  well  to  glance  over  the  list  once  more 
before  leaving  them. 

Order  I.  Grouse,  Quail,  Pheasants.  Order  II. 
Pigeons  and  Doves.  Order  III.  Birds  of  Prey. 
Order  IV.  Cuckoos  and  Kingfishers.  Order  V. 
Woodpeckers,  etc.  Order  VI.  Goatsuckers,  Hum- 
mingbirds, Swifts.  Order  VII.  Perching  Birds. 


FIG.  169. 

Loggerhead  Shrike  :  Lanius  ludovicianus  and  race. 

Upper  parts  gray  ;  wing's  and  tail  and  line  from  bill  to  ear  black ; 
wings  and  tail  showing  white  in  flight ;  under  parts  white. 
Length,  9  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  west  to 
the  edge  of  the  Plains  ;  breeds  east  of  the  Alleghanies  as  far 
north  as  Virginia  ;  west  of  the  Alleghanies  breeds  northward 
to  the  Great  Lakes,  and  eastward  through  central  New  York 
to  Vermont  and  Maine. 

The  Butcherbird  is  often  started  from  a  road- 
side tree  in  driving  along  the  country,  and  in 
places  where  the  Mockingbird  also  occurs,  the  two 
may  be  confused,  although  they  are  really  quite 
distinct.  The  Shrike  is  a  lighter,  clearer  gray, 
and  has  black  instead  of  brownish  wings  and  tail 


LOGGERHEAD   SHRIKE  299 

marked  like  those  of  the  Mocker,  with  white. 
The  Shrike  has  also  a  distinctive  flight.  It  moves 
along  evenly,  flapping  its  short  wings  and  holding 
its  head  up.  When  perching  on  a  telegraph  wire, 
as  it  often  does,  its  large  head  and  quiet,  preoccu- 
pied manner  are  also  totally  different  from  the 
round  head  and  restless  ways  of  the  talkative 
Mocker. 

Where  the  honey  locust  or  the  spiny  thorn 
trees  grow  the  Shrike  is  found  ;  for  it  not  only 
hides  its  nest  in  thorn  bushes,  but  uses  the  thorns 
for  impaling  its  prey.  What  the  reason  for  this 
custom  may  be  is  not  certain,  but  it  is  probably 
a  phase  of  the  storing  instinct  seen  in  Jays  and 
Woodpeckers.  The  birds  take  what  the  gods 
provide  at  the  moment,  and  put  it  away  against 
a  possible  time  of  need.  Bachman  says  he  has 
seen  the  Loggerhead  occupy  itself  for  hours  hang- 
ing up  small  fish  the  fishermen  had  thrown  on 
shore.  But  though  the  bird  did  not  return  for 
them,  that  proves  nothing,  for  at  the  moment  there 
was  probably  plenty  of  fresh  food  to  be  had. 

In  cruelty  and  pride  of  disposition  the  Shrikes 
resemble  the  Hawks,  as  they  do  in  their  way  of 
lying  in  wait  to  pounce  on  their  victims  and  tear 
them  to  pieces  with  their  strong  hooked  beaks. 

The  Loggerhead  in  summer  lives  almost  exclu- 
sively on  insects,  mainly  grasshoppers ;  but  in 
winter,  when  these  are  scarce,  it  becomes  carniv- 
orous, taking  to  a  diet  of  mice. 


300  KEY  TO  SHRIKES 


Butcherbird:  Lanius  borealis. 

Upper  parts  gray,  wings  and  tail  and  line  back  of  eye  black  ; 

wings   and  tail  showing  white  in  flight ;  under  parts  white, 

finely  barred  with  black  ;  forehead  whitish,  without  black  line. 

Length,  about  10£  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC   DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds   in  the  far  north  (Fort 

Anderson,  MacFarlane),  and  migrates  southward  in  winter  as 

far  as  California,  Kansas,  and  Virginia. 

The  northern  Shrike  comes  into  the  United 
States  only  in  winter,  and  then  may  be  known  by 
its  larger  size,  lack  of  black  on  the  forehead,  and 
gray  rather  than  black  in  front  of  the  eye. 

This  is  the  true  Butcherbird,  and  on  its  winter 
visits  it  does  good  service  in  making  way  with 
mice  and  House  Sparrows. 


Key  to  Shrikes. 

Common  characters. — Upper  parts  light  gray;  wings, 

tail,  and  face  marked  with  black  and  white. 
Under  parts  white,  finely  barred  with  black  ;  forehead 
whitish.     Winter  visitant. 

p.  300.   NORTHERN  SHRIKE  ;  BUTCHERBIRD. 

,  Under  parts  white,  not  barred  with  black  ;  black  line  on 
forehead.    Summer  resident. 

p.  298.     LOGGERHEAD  SHRIKE. 


YELLOW-THROATED   VIREO  301 

Yellow- throated  Vireo :  Vireojlavifrons. 
(See  Fig.  170,  p.  305.) 

Adults,  upper  parts  bright  olive-green  ;  throat  and  breast  bright 
yellow ;  two  white  wing  bars.  Length,  about  6  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Florida  to  Newfoundland  and  Manitoba  ;  winters  in  the 
tropics. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  Red-eyed  and  Warbling 
Vireos,  the  commonest  Greenlets  of  village  and 
woodland ;  but  often,  when  listening  to  the  song 
of  the  Red-eye  on  the  village  streets,  or  more  fre- 
quently in  the  woods,  you  will  hear  the  rich  con- 
tralto warble  of  the  Yellow-throat.  It  is  as  much 
richer  as  the  colors  of  the  bird  are  deeper  than 
those  of  the  Red-eye.  In  addition  to  the  conven- 
tional Vireo  triplet,  the  Yellow-throat  has  a  gut- 
tural fragment  of  one  note  repeated  four  times, 
followed  by  a  short,  rapid  run  down  the  scale.  To 
distinguish  it  from  both  the  Warbling  and  Red- 
eye, you  have  but  to  remember  the  yellow  on  its 
breast  and  its  two  strongly  marked  wing  bars. 

Mr.  Chapman  gives  its  song  as  "  See  me ;  I  'm 
here;  where  are  you?"  but  adds  that  the  little 
bird  "  sometimes  astonishes  us  by  an  intricate 
liquid  trill  which  suggests  the  wonderful  song  of 
the  Ruby  Kinglet,  but  which  unfortunately  is 
sometimes  marred  by  the  scolding  notes  that  pre- 
cede or  follow  it." 

The  nest  of  this  Vireo  is  particularly  pretty, 
being  decorated  not  only  with  spider-webs  but 
with  bits  of  lichen  also. 


302  WHITE-EYED   VIEEO 


White-eyed  Vireo ;  Whip-Tom-Kelly  :  Vireo 
noveboracensis. 

(See  Fig.  171,  p.  305.) 

Upper  parts  bright  olive  green  ;  under  parts  white  ;  breast  and 

sides  washed  with  yellow  ;  two  yellowish  wing-  bars.     Length, 

about  5£  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States ;  breeds 

from  Florida   to  Connecticut  and  Minnesota ;  winters  from 

Florida  southward. 

In  Bermuda  this  bird  abounds  and  is  called  the 
'  Chick  of  the  Village,'  the  people  interpreting  its 
song  as  "  Chick-a-dee-chick'-de-villet."  While 
this  is  a  fair  rendering,  the  song  has  an  interro- 
gatory inflection  given  better  by  the  phrasing, 
"Now,  who  are  you',  eh  ?  "  This  suits  the  man- 
ner of  the  bird,  too,  for  it  hunts  calmly  through 
its  bush  till  it  faces  you,  and  then  accosts  you  quite 
with  the  air  of  one  who  has  a  prior  right  on  the 
premises.  It  is  a  piquant,  independent,  original 
character ;  one  which  stimulates  the  interest,  and 
makes  us  desire  a  better  acquaintance. 

Like  all  the  Vireos,  the  White-eye  is  very  tame. 
Doctor  Mearns  says  he  has  actually  taken  a  sitting 
bird  from  the  nest  before  she  would  leave  it,  and 
that  then,  instead  of  flying  off,  she  would  return 
and  scold  most  vigorously,  in  a  tone  resembling 
that  of  an  irate  Catbird.  The  nest  is  like  the 
pendent  basket  of  the  Red-eye,  and  the  eggs  are 
white,  speckled  with  black  at  the  larger  end. 

While  the  Vireos  have  adopted  a  Quaker-like 


VIEEOS  303 

costume,  little  individual  touches  in  their  attire 
help  to  distinguish  them.  The  Red-eye  wears  a 
gray  cap  with  black  and  white  border ;  the  War- 
bling keeps  strictly  to  its  plain  olive  gown,  having 
no  cap  or  trimmings  of  any  sort ;  and  its  charac- 
teristic flowing  warble  comes  to  us  from  the  elm- 
tops.  Both  the  White-eye  and  Yellow-throat 
wear  white  wing  bars  and  brighten  their  costume 
with  yellow,  but  in  the  case  of  the  little  White- 
eye  it  is  only  a  touch,  while  in  the  Yellow-throat 
it  is  a  clear  yellow  vest. 

As  the  Grouse,  Sparrows,  and  Wrens  wear 
ground-colors,  and  the  Flycatchers  the  grays  of 
the  dead  trees  and  bare  twigs,  so  the  Yireos  carry 
the  colors  of  their  environment  and  are  clothed 
in  green  to  match  the  foliage  in  which  they  live. 
They  are  not  green  all  over,  however,  but  in  com- 
pliance with  the  law  of  the  gradation  of  tints, 
expounded  by  Mr.  Abbott  Thayer,  are  white,  or 
white  grading  to  yellow  underneath  where  the 
least  light  reaches,  and  green  above  where  the 
strong  light  falls. 

In  disposition  the  Greenlets  are  as  gentle  and 
friendly  as  the  Shrikes  and  Hawks  are  fierce. 
Although  they  are  not  equally  gifted,  and  do  not 
rank  with  the  greatest  musicians,  they  stand  with 
the  singing  birds  as  compared  with  the  Grouse, 
Doves,  Hawks,  Woodpeckers,  Flycatchers,  and 
Waxwings,  for  they  make  up  in  perseverance 
what  they  lack  in  quality. 


304  KEY  TO   VIEEOS 

Besides  being  pleasing  birds  from  their  ready 
response  to  our  friendliness,  the  Vireos  are  of 
great  value  to  our  trees.  They  may  be  found 
from  morning  till  night  searching  among  the  leafy 
treetops  for  insects  both  in  our  forests  and  in  our 
villages  and  towns.  They  probably  rank  next  to 
the  Cuckoo  in  the  destruction  of  caterpillars,  and 
are  also  of  great  value  from  their  fondness  for 
bugs  and  weevils,  May  beetles,  inch-worms,  and 
leaf-eating  beetles. 

With  the  Vireos  we  finish  the  tenth  family 
of  Perching  Birds. 

I.  Flycatchers.  II.  Larks.  III.  Crows  and 
Jays.  IV.  Blackbirds  and  Orioles.  V.  Finches 
and  Sjtarrows.  VI.  Tanagers.  VII.  Swallows. 
VIII.  Waxwings.  IX.  Shrikes.  X.  Vireos. 

Key  to  Vireos. 

1.  With  wing  bars  ;  upper  parts  bright  olive-green. 

2.  Throat  bright  yellow. 

p.  301.    YELLOW-THROATED  VIREO. 

2'.  Throat  white  or  whitish.     Song,  "  Now,  who  are  you', 
eh?" p.  302.     WHITE-EYED  VIREO. 

1'.  Without  wing  bars  ;  upper  parts  dull  olive-green. 

3.  Head  with  gray  cap,  bordered  by  black  and  white  lines. 

Song,  broken  triplets  .     .     p.  120.     RED-EYED  VIREO. 

3'.  Head  without  gray  cap.      Song,  a  continuous  flowing 
warble,  heard  from  elm-tops. 

p.  126.     WARBLING  VIREO. 


VIEEOS 


305 


FIG.  170. 
Yellow-throated  Vireo. 

FIG.  171. 
White-eyed  Vireo. 


FIG.  172. 
Warbling  Vireo. 


FIG.  173. 
Red-eyed  Vireo. 


MEMBERS    OF   THE   VIREO    FAMILY. 


306  WARBLERS 

Warblers. 

Warblers  are  at  once  the  most  fascinating  and 
the  most  exasperating  of  birds.  They  come  with 
a  rush  in  the  spring,  but  though  the  woods  are 
full  of  them,  nothing  but  a  faint  lisp  from  the 
pine-tops  suggests  their  presence,  and  if,  intent 
on  other  songs  with  which  the  air  is  ringing,  you 
ignore  this,  your  opportunity  is  lost.  But  if  you 
close  your  ears  with  determination  to  all  else,  reso- 
lutely concluding  to  devote  yourself  to  Warblers, 
the  sight  of  a  diminutive  figure  disappearing  in  a 
high  treetop  will  often  be  your  only  reward. 

But  this  is  generalization  —  one  of  the  most 
dangerous  kinds  of  all  subtle  forms  of  false  wit- 
ness. Some  of  the  Warblers,  it  is  true,  lisp 
faintly  from  the  treetops,  but  others  lift  up  loud- 
ringing  voices  from  the  ground  at  your  feet.  In- 
deed, they  are  a  family  of  contradictions. 

With  most,  '  motley  is  surely  the  only  wear,' 
for  their  coats  are  patched  with  many  colors ;  but 
some  among  them  are  as  Quakerish  as  Vireos,  with 
never  a  spot  on  rectrix  or  primary  to  hint  of  their 
station  in  life.  Some  of  them  dash  about  among 
the  leaves  as  if  life  depended  on  one  particular 
passing  gnat ;  others  hunt  soberly  over  the 
branches,  like  Vireos.  Though  most  of  them  hop 
gayly  on  the  few  occasions  when  they  descend  to 
earth,  some  staid  members  of  the  family  walk 
sedately  over  the  ground,  bobbing  their  heads  or 


YELLOW  WARBLER  307 

tilting  their  tails  like  veritable  '  tip-ups.'  Part  of 
the  tribe,  after  thoroughly  confusing  our  brains, 
fly  north  to  nest  in  coniferous  forests  ;  but  a  few 
settle  down  and  build  in  our  parks,  gardens,  and 
shrubbery,  where  we  can  study  them  at  our  lei- 
sure throughout  the  summer. 

In  the  matter  of  food  they  are  more  consistent, 
for  they  are  all  insect-eaters ;  destroying  ants, 
flies,  caterpillars,  Iarva3,  plant-lice,  cankerworms, 
and  May-flies. 

Yellow  Warbler :   Dendroica  (estiva. 
(See  Fig.  191,  p.  347.) 

Male,  upper  parts  greenish  yellow  ;  under  parts  yellow,  streaked 
with  reddish  brown.  Female  and  young,  duller,  and  usually 
unstreaked.  Length,  about  5  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  except  south- 
western states,  where  a  closely  allied  race  occurs;  breeds 
northward  to  the  arctic  regions ;  winters  as  far  south  as  north- 
ern South  America. 

This  little  bird  is  closely  associated  in  my  mind 
with  the  first  spring  days  in  Central  Park  when 
the  trees  are  veiled  in  varied  shades  of  tender 
green,  richly  clustered  lavender  wistaria  drapes 
the  walls  and  arbors,  and  the  great  pleasure 
ground  is  pervaded  with  spring  happiness.  Then, 
as  you  rest  on  the  benches,  enjoying  the  soft  air, 
fragrant  with  the  breath  of  freshly  mown  grass, 
idly  watching  the  happy  children  bravely  riding 
the  donkeys  up  and  down  the  paths,  or  resting 
your  eyes  on  the  bench  where  the  workman  is  tak- 


308  YELLOW  WARBLER 

ing  his  noonday  meal  with  his  wife  and  child 
beside  him  —  suddenly  from  out  the  blooming 
shrubbery  close  by  there  rings  out  the  loud,  cheery 
ivee-chee,  chee-chee,  cher-wee  of  the  friendly  little 
yellow  bird.  What  a  bright,  sunny  song  it  is ! 
How  summery  it  sounds!  The  little  Warbler 
sings  as  he  works,  and  his  song  seems  the  natural 
outpouring  of  happiness  akin  to  the  opening  of 
leaves  and  flowers  until  you  pass  on  and  his 
mate  starts  from  her  nest  in  a  bush,  when  you 
realize  that  the  ecstatic  quality  of  his  lay  is  due 
to  something  more  than  the  unfolding  of  the  sea- 
son. And  as  you  stop  to  examine  the  beautiful 
little  home  the  pretty  pair  have  worked  together 
to  prepare  for  their  brood,  the  songster  becomes 
transformed  into  a  home-maker  whose  anxieties 
and  happiness  seem  almost  human. 

And  the  poor  little  yellow  birds  have  more 
than  their  share  of  anxieties,  for  they  of  all  birds 
are  chosen  for  the  impositions  of  the  Cowbird. 
They  probably  suffer  more  than  many  birds  under 
it,  too,  for  instead  of  accepting  their  fate  calmly, 
they  build  a  new  nest  over  the  old,  or  rather  a 
second  story  over  the  eggs  of  the  intruder.  Some- 
times the  shameless  Cowbird  lays  eggs  in  this 
second  nest,  when  the  undaunted  Warblers  actu- 
ally build  a  third  story  and  start  again. 


REDSTART  309 

Redstart  :  Setophaga  rutidlla. 
(See  Fig.  195,  p.  348.) 

Adult  male,  black,  with  salmon  on  breast,  wings,  and  tail ;  belly 
whitish.  Adult  female  and  young,  brownish  gray  instead  of 
black,  yellow  instead  of  salmon.  The  male  is  three  years  in 
attaining  full  plumage.  Length,  about  5£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  ;  breeds  from 
Kansas  and  North  Carolina  north  to  Labrador  and  Fort  Simp- 
son ;  winters  in  the  tropics. 

The  Redstart  is  the  Warbler  you  are  perhaps 
most  likely  to  see  on  a  walk  in  the  woods.  It 
can  never  be  mistaken  for  any  of  its  family,  which 
is  a  great  and  shining  virtue  to  be  possessed  by 
a  Warbler !  The  jet-black  upper  parts  and  the 
salmon  patches  on  the  breast  and  tail  of  the  male, 
and  also  the  soft  yellow  that  replaces  them  in  the 
female,  show  clearly  as  the  birds  flit  about  the 
branches,  or  suddenly  drop  down  through  the  air 
in  pursuit  of  some  hapless  insect.  Another  good 
field  character  is  the  long  tail  of  the  restless  lit- 
tle bird,  for  it  is  constantly  opened  and  shut,  like 
a  gaudy  fan. 

The  Redstart  has  two  songs,  one  that  hurries 
to  its  accented  close,  and  a  simpler  one  that  sug- 
gests the  see-see-see-see  of  the  Black  and  White 
Creeper. 

It  is  interesting  to  hear  that  in  Cuba,  where  the 
Warblers  are  called  '  mariposas,'  —  butterflies,  — 
this  one,  from  its  brilliant  colors,  is  called  by  the 
pretty  name  of  '  Candelita,'  meaning  the  little 


310  YELLOW-RUMPED   WARBLER 

torch  which  flashes  in  the  shaded  depths  of  the 
tropical  forest. 

Yellow-rumped  Warbler  ;  Myrtle  Warbler : 

Dendroica  coronata. 
(See  Fig.  194,  p.  348.) 

Adult  male,  yellow  on  crown,  rump,  and  breast ;  under  parts 
with  patches  of  black  and  white.  Adult  female,  similar,  but 
with  black  streaks  instead  of  patches  on  under  parts.  Old 
and  young,  in  fall  and  winter,  dull ;  upper  parts  streaked  with 
black  ;  rump  bright  yellow.  Length,  about  5|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  northern  Minnesota  and  northern  New  England  north- 
ward ;  winters  from  the  middle  states  southward. 

On  the  spring  migration  the  Yellow-rump  un^ 
furls  his  colors  and  stands  proclaimed,  but  in  fall, 
when  flocks  of  old  and  young  appear  together,  the 
colors  of  the  old  birds  are  so  much  duller  that  it 
is  hard  to  know  them  until  you  remember  the 
combination  of  black  back-streakings  and  yellow 
rump  as  belonging  to  the  little  friends  who  for- 
merly faced  you  with  a  shield  of  black  and  gold. 

The  call  note  of  the  Myrtle  is  rather  distinct, 
being  a  loud  and  unmusical  tchip,  uttered  with 
emphasis  as  the  birds  chase  about  the  trees,  but 
their  song  is  a  nondescript  warble  that  might  be 
attributed  to  a  dozen  of  their  kindred. 

In  southern  Illinois,  Mr.  Ridgway  tells  us,  the 
Yellow-rump  is  often  seen  in  midwinter  in  the 
door-yards,  together  with  Juncos  and  Tree  Spar- 
rows, picking  up  bread-crumbs  from  the  doorstep 
or  hunting  for  spiders  in  odd  nooks  and  crevices. 


BLACK-THROATED  GREEN   WARBLER     311 

Black-throated  Green  Warbler:  Dendroica  virens. 
(See  Fig.  192,  p.  347.) 

Adult  male,  throat  and  sides  black,  forming1  an  inverted  V  of 
black;  cheeks  bright  yellow;  tail  strikingly  marked  with  white. 
Female  and  young,  similar,  but  with  black  obscured.  Length, 
about  5  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  northern  Illinois  and  Connecticut  northward  to  Hudson 
Bay  and  southward  along  the  Alleghanies  to  South  Carolina ; 
winters  in  the  tropics. 

In  migration  this  is  one  of  the  most  welcome 
birds  to  the  would-be  ornithologist,  because  it  is 
so  easily  recognized.  The  black  inverted  V  of  its 
under  parts  (A),  the  yellow  cheeks  and  large 
areas  of  white  on  the  tail,  are  unmistakable. 

But  in  the  nesting-season  we  are  glad  to  meet 
it  for  other  reasons.  At  sound  of  its  leisurely, 

woodsy \/ ,  zee-ee-ee,  zee-ah-ee,  in 

which  Mr.  Torrey  hears  trees,  trees,  murmuring 
trees,  the  forest  grows  more  silent,  the  solitude 
becomes  more  protected,  and  the  world  with  its 
hurry  and  care  fades  away  far  behind  the  '  aisles 
of  the  forest  dim;'  for  with  such  small,  wood- 
land voices  Mother  Nature  soothes  her  tired 
children  to  rest. 


312      BLACK-THBOATED  BLUE  WAEBLEE 


Black-throated  Blue  Warbler :  Dendroica  ccerulescens 
and  race. 

(See  Fig.  188,  p.  347.) 

Adult  male,  throat  and  band  along  sides  black ;  rest  of  under 
parts  pure  white  ;  upper  parts  bluish  gray ;  white  spot  on  wing 
in  both  sexes.  Adult  female,  upper  parts  olive-green ;  under 
parts  soiled  buffy ;  young  male,  like  adult  male  ;  young  female, 
like  adult  female.  Length,  about  5£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  northern  Minnesota  and  Connecticut  (rarely)  northward 
to  Labrador,  and  south  along  the  crest  of  the  Alleghanies  to 
Georgia ;  winters  in  the  tropics. 

Be  on  your  guard.  When  you  first  see  the 
female  Blue  you  will  be  tempted  to  jump  to  a  con- 
clusion. But  don't  say  that  she  is  a  female  Red- 
start until  you  have  looked  closely  at  her  wing, 
and  then  —  you  won't  say  it  at  all.  The  small 
white  spot  is  her  mark,  and  by  its  presence  you 
may  surely  know  her.  Her  mate  has  it,  too,  but 
with  him  it  seems  redundant,  for  he  wears  a  blue 
coat,  his  head  and  throat  are  jet-black,  and  his 
under  parts  pure  snowy  white.  Then,  too,  when 
he  is  on  a  branch  with  his  side  turned  toward  you 
so  that  his  other  points  are  not  so  plainly  to»be 
seen,  you  can  tell  him  by  the  black  line  that  runs 
along  his  side  under  his  wing,  like  the  tug  on  a 
horse  in  harness. 

Like  the  Black-throated  Green,  this  is  one  of 
the  loveliest  of  all  the  Warblers  of  the  woodlands. 
Its  song  has  the  same  z-y  leisurely  quality  as  the 


BLACK-THROATED  BLUE  WARBLER      313 

Green's,  but  differs  from  it  in  note,  being  made 
up  of  three  phrases  in  descending  scale. 

Hour  after  hour  I  have  followed  this  lovely 
bird  through  the  cool  beech-woods,  as  it  hunted 
quietly  up  a  woods  road  and  back  again,  singing 
as  it  went.  Its  ways  impress  one  as  unusually 
deliberate  for  a  Warbler.  It  treats  a  tree  as  a 
staircase,  hopping  up  a  branch  at  a  time,  often 
stopping  on  the  landings  to  follow  the  limbs  out 
to  their  tips,  and  then,  instead  of  vaulting  into 
the  air  or  dropping  off  in  somersaults  as  do  many 
of  its  acrobatic  relatives,  stops  still,  turns  its  head 
over  and  looks  up  before  going  on  up  the  next 
stair. 

The  mother  Blue  is  no  less  interesting  than  the 
songster,  and  makes  an  exquisite  little  nest  in  a 
bush  near  the  ground.  The  eggs  are  grayish 
white,  marked  with  brown,  chiefly  about  the 
larger  end.  One  whom  I  watched  at  her  build- 
ing enjoyed  her  work  so  much  she  could  not  bear 
to  leave  her  nest  among  the  fresh  sunlit  green 
leaves,  but  hopped  out  on  the  edge  of  the  bowl 
only  to  turn  around  and  jump  in  again ;  ran  up 
one  of  the  supporting  twigs  only  to  turn  around 
and  run  down  again  ;  and,  after  actually  starting 
away,  flew  back  for  a  last  look  at  the  pretty  home 
she  was  preparing  for  her  brood.  Perhaps  she 
was  just  trying  to  decide  some  point  in  architec- 
ture, but  it  certainly  looked  very  much  as  if  she 
were  lingering  lovingly  about  her  nest. 


314      BLACK  AND  WHITE  CREEPING  WAEBLEE 

Black  and  White  Creeping  Warbler :  Mniotilta 

varia. 
(See  Fig.  190,  p.  347.) 

Black  and  white  streaked  above  and  below.     Length,  about  5£ 

inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 

from  the  southern  states  north  to  Fort  Simpson  and  Nova 

Scotia ;  winters  from  Florida  southward. 

This  little  Warbler  is  so  uniformly  striped  with 
black  and  white  that  beginners  often  dub  him 
'  the  little  zebra  bird,'  taking  great  satisfaction 
in  his  unique  characters.  His  habits  are  as 
foreign  to  Warbler  circles  as  his  dress,  for  he 
spends  his  time  clambering  about  tree  trunks  and 
branches  like  a  Nuthatch.  There  is  a  difference 
even  here,  however  ;  for  while  a  Nuthatch  creeps 
up  a  tree  with  at  least  some  show  of  regularity, 
the  Black  and  White,  showing  his  Warbler  blood, 
zigzags  back  and  forth  and  hops  about,  turning 
to  peck  at  every  bit  of  loose  bark,  promising- 
crotch,  or  dead  tip  of  a  broken  branch. 

His  song,  too,  is  a  family  matter ;  just  a  simple 
little  Warbler  see-see-see-see,  repeated  a  varying 
number  of  times.  Sometimes  it  is  given  loudly, 
—  as  the  buzz  of  some  flies  is  loud,  —  but  at  oth- 
ers, as  when  he  sits  in  a  sunny  crotch  and  plumes 
himself,  he  cons  over  the  four  little  syllables  in 
a  low,  soft  voice,  as  if  talking  to  himself  about 
pleasant  matters. 


MARYLAND   YELLOW-THROAT  315 


Maryland  Yellow-throat :  Geothlypis  trichas. 
(See  Fig.  193,  p.  347.) 

Adult  male,  forehead  and  cheeks  black,  bordered  by  ashy  gray ; 
bright  yellow  below ;  brownish  green  above.  Adult  female, 
duller  above,  pale  buffy  below ;  no  black  mask.  Length,  about 
5j  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  — Eastern  North  America,  west 
to  the  Plains  ;  breeds  from  the  Gulf  states  to  Manitoba  and 
Labrador ;  winters  from  the  Gulf  states  southward. 

There  are  Warblers  and  Warblers,  and  the 
Yellow-throat  is  one  of  them!  What  pleasant 
memories  his  name  calls  up  !  —  visions  of  bushy 
thickets,  rich  swamps,  or  winding  river  banks, 
with  an  inquisitive  little  black-masked  bird-face 
peering  up  at  you  out  of  the  cover,  while  its 
mate,  a  dull  little  nondescript  bird,  whisks  back 
out  of  sight  just  as  you  have  made  a  mental  note 
of  her,  for  you  would  never  have  known  her  had 
she  not  taken  her  stand  on  the  bush  beside  her 
lord. 

But  it  is  not  only  pleasant  sights  that  are  asso- 
ciated with  the  Maryland ;  for  at  his  name  his 
song  again  rings  in  your  ears,  always  new  and 
interesting  —  witchery,  vritchbry,  witchery  ;  wree- 
chetty,  wreechetty,  wreechetty ;  or  chee-wee-oh, 
chee-wee-oh.  Which  is  it  ?  Few  bird-folks  say 
always  the  same  thing  in  the  same  way,  and  the 
Maryland  in  Washington  judged  by  the  Maryland 
in  New  York  may  well  show  a  southern  accent. 

The  bird  is  so  identified  with  his  three  sylla- 


316  BED-POLL    WARBLER 

bled  wit-che-ry  that  it  is  a  surprise  when  he  sud- 
denly vaults  into  mid  air  with  an  ecstatic  love-song. 
It  breaks  away  from  his  stereotyped  notes  so 
completely  that  it  comes  as  an  outpouring  of  long- 
pent-up  feeling,  and  raises  him  from  the  rank  of 
a  prosaic  hunter  after  worms  to  that  of  an  im- 
passioned musician  and  lover.  In  domestic  rela- 
tions, few  birds  are  more  affectionate  than  the 
Yellow-throat,  Mr.  Chamberlain  tells  us.  The 
male  carries  food  most  assiduously  to  his  mate  at 
the  nest,  caressing  her,  singing  for  her  diversion, 
and  guarding  her  from  disturbance.  If  the  nest 
is  approached,  he  "  alternately  scolds  and  pleads 
with  marked  emphasis  of  displeasure  and  anx- 
iety." The  nest  is  a  bulky  but  comfortable  abode 
made  of  loosely  woven  strips  of  bark,  grasses,  and 
dead  leaves,  sometimes  roofing  the  top ;  and  the 
eggs  are  white,  speckled  thinly  at  the  larger  end. 

Red-poll  Warbler :  Dendrolca  palmarum  hypochrysea. 

Crown  chestnut ;  back  brownish  green  ;  under  parts  entirely 
bright  yellow.  Young  and  adult,  in  winter,  cap  concealed  or 
wanting.  Length,  about  5£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  east  of 
the  mountains ;  breeds  from  Maine  northward  east  of  Hudson 
Bay ;  migrates  southward  through  the  Atlantic  states,  and 
winters  in  the  Gulf  states. 

In  the  spring  migration  the  Red-poll  is  often 
seen  on  the  ground  or  on  fences  or  bushes  in 
company  with  Yellow-rumps,  Pine  Warblers,  and 
Chipping  Sparrows.  It  is  common  in  Central 


PAEULA   WAEBLER  317 

Park  at  that  time,  as  it  is  on  the  City  Green  in 
the  heart  of  New  Haven ;  and  it  may  be  known 
by  its  chestnut  crown,  fine  chip,  and  habit  of  wag- 
ging its  tail  as  it  works.  This  tilting  motion  is 
so  marked  that  it  has  earned  it  the  name  of  '  Wag- 
tail Warbler.' 

In  Illinois  Mr.  W.  E.  Henderson  has  seen  flocks 
of  several  hundreds  feeding  in  a  field  grown  up 
with  ragweed. 

Parula  Warbler :  Compsothlypis  americana. 
(See  Fig.  189,  p.  347.) 

4-dult  male,  copper -colored  or  blackish  band  on  chest ;  back  bluish 
gray,  with  a  yellow  patch  between  shoulders.  Female  and 
young,  similar,  but  the  chest  patch  duller  or  wanting1.  Length, 
about  4|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
locally  from  the  Gulf  states  northward  to  Anticosti ;  winters 
from  Florida  southward. 

It  is  always  a  pleasure  to  discover  this  exquisite 
little  Warbler  on  the  migrations.  Other  members 
of  the  family  are  more  gorgeous,  but  it  is  a  pecul- 
iarly dainty  little  bird,  and  its  manner  of  hunting 
is  quiet  and  attractive.  Sometimes  it  will  hang 
head  down  from  a  hemlock  bough  as  easily  as  a 
Chickadee.  Mr.  Bicknell  accords  it  two  songs; 
"  in  one  the  notes  coalesce  into  a  fine  insect-like 
trill ;  in  the  other  four  similar  notes  are  followed 
by  four  others." 

The  nest  of  the  Parula  is  unique,  being  made 
habitually  in  the  gray  hanging  moss.  One  nest 


318  CHESTNUT-SIDED   WAEBLEE 

in  the  collection  of  Major  Bendire  is  a  round 
gray  ball  midway  in  a  streamer  of  Florida  moss 
probably  ten  feet  long.  'No  better  case  of  pro- 
tective nesting  could  be  found.  In  Illinois  the 
Parula  nests  in  swampy  forests. 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler  :  Dendroica  pensylvanica. 
(See  Fig.  183,  p.  346.) 

Adult  male,  crown  yellow  and  sides  chestnut.  Adult  female,  simi- 
lar, but  duller.  Young,  upper  parts  bright  yellowish  green ; 
under  parts  pure  white,  with  sometimes  a  little  chestnut  on 
sides.  Length,  about  5  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  ;  breeds 
from  central  Illinois  and  northern  New  Jersey  north  to  Mani- 
toba and  Newfoundland,  and  southward  along  the  Alleghanies 
to  South  Carolina ;  winters  in  the  tropics. 

The  friendly  Chestnut-sided  Warbler  nests  with 
us,  and  is  easily  known  by  its  combination  of 
yellow  crown  and  dark  brown  sides.  It  lives  low 
in  the  bushes,  and  hunts  with  wings  hanging  and 
tail  up.  Its  nest  is  not  far  from  the  ground,  and 
is  a  delicate  structure,  often  made  with  birch 
bark,  like  a  Vireo's.  The  eggs  are  white,  with  a 
wreath  of  brown  about  the  larger  end. 

The  Chestnut  has  two  songs,  both  of  which 
resemble  that  of  the  Yellow  Warbler. 

In  watching  this  Warbler  I  have  had  many 
delightful  surprises ;  but  the  most  interesting  of 
all  was  the  day  when  Mrs.  Olive  Thome  Miller 
and  I  happened  on  a  Redstart's  nest,  the  young 
of  which  were  being  fed  by  the  mother  Redstart 


CHESTNUT-SIDED   WAEBLEE  319 

and  a  Chestnut  visitor.  We  watched  them  with 
keen  interest  for  several  hours.  The  father  Red- 
start did  not  appear,  and  was  doubtless  dead. 

The  young  were  fed  at  dangerously  short  inter- 
vals; we  feared  they  would  leave  the  nest 
dyspeptics  for  life ;  and  they  would  have  been 
crammed  still  more  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  time 
it  took  the  Redstart  to  drive  off  the  Chestnut,  and 
the  delay  her  attacks  caused  him ;  for  she  had  no 
wish  for  his  kind  offices,  and,  as  Mrs.  Miller 
remarked,  like  some  other  philanthropists  that 
made  no  difference  to  him  !  When  she  saw  him 
coming  with  food,  before  he  was  anywhere  near 
the  tree,  she  dashed  at  him  with  spread  tail  and 
resentment  in  every  feather.  His  long-suffering 
meekness  was  philosophical.  He  flew  before  her, 
waited  till  she  had  spent  her  anger  and  gone  off 
or  down  in  the  bushes  for  an  insect,  when  he 
slipped  up  to  the  nest  and  fed  his  charges.  It 
seemed  as  if  she  could  not  bear  the  sight  of  him. 
Again  and  again  she  drove  him  out  of  the  tree. 
Sometimes  she  almost  tumbled  her  youngsters  out 
of  the  nest,  flouncing  at  him  over  their  heads 
when  he  was  in  the  act  of  feeding  them.  Once 
or  twice  he  came  to  a  twig  behind  the  nest,  leaned 
over,  and  stretched  the  food  across  to  the  birds, 
as  if  to  make  sure  of  getting  off  before  she  caught 
him.  But  he  was  no  coward,  and  took  a  good 
claw-to-claw  tumble  with  her  when  she  had 
snapped  her  bill  at  him  once  too  often.  Except 


320  CHESTNUT-SIDED   WARBLER 

for  this,  he  seemed  calm  and  self-possessed  through 
all  her  persecution,  hopping  from  twig  to  twig, 
running  along  the  branches,  clambering  up  the 
stalks  of  the  bushes,  and  occasionally  giving  a 
thin  low  call;  while  she  flashed  around  madly, 
under  leaves  and  over  branches,  flying  up  against 
one  tree  trunk  only  to  dart  off  to  another.  At 
first  she  made  no  noise,  except  when  she  snapped 
her  bill ;  but  later  on  she  sang  a  few  notes  now 
and  then  while  at  her  work. 

The  next  day  the  young  flew ;  but  though  the 
Chestnut  watched  where  the  Redstart  went  and 
tried  to  follow  her,  after  he  had  been  driven  back 
a  number  of  times  he  apparently  gave  up ;  at  all 
events  he  disappeared. 

Whether  he  finally  succeeded  in  following  the 
family,  or  went  away  discouraged  in  well-doing, 
we  did  not  determine.  We  saw  the  Redstart 
hunting  about  in  the  vicinity  of  the  dead  treetop 
where  she  took  her  young,  the  day  after  they  left 
the  nest,  but  saw  no  more  of  the  Chestnut  with 
her. 


BLACK-POLL   WABBLEB  321 

Black-poll  Warbler :  Dendroica  striata. 
(See  Fig.  187,  p.  346.) 

Adult  male,  crown  black,  rest  of  body  largely  streaked  with 
black  and  white.  Adult  female,  upper  parts  olive-green,  dis- 
tinctly streaked  with  black ;  under  parts  tinged  with  yellow. 
Young,  brighter  and  less  streaked.  Length,  about  5£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America  to  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  north  to  Greenland,  the  Barren  Grounds, 
and  Alaska,  breeding  from  the  Catskills  and  northern  New 
England  northward;  south  in  winter  to  northern  South 
America. 

The  Black-poll  at  first  glance  suggests  the 
Black  and  White  Creeper  (Fig.  190,  p.  347) ; 
but  instead  of  a  striped  head,  has  a  black  cap. 
It  hunts  in  both  bushes  and  treetops,  and  Wilson 
says  it  is  partial  to  woods  in  the  neighborhood 
of  creeks,  swamps,  and  morasses.  In  Ohio  Mr. 
Oberholser  finds  it  the  commonest  of  the  tran- 
sient town  Warblers,  where  it  goes  about  in 
companies  of  six  or  seven.  Mr.  Torrey  has 
found  it  on  Mount  Washington,  and  in  the 
White  Mountains  generally.  In  Washington  it 
is  common  during  the  spring  migration,  the  little 
pine  groves  sometimes  being  filled  with  its  faint 
notes.  The  song  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the 
Black  and  White  Creeper,  but  by  careful  listen- 
ing you  can  see  what  Mr.  Torrey  means  by  saying 
that  it  has  a  crescendo  and  decrescendo.  Some- 
times the  decrescendo  consists  of  only  one  or  two 
notes  dropped  down  the  scale,  but  again  the  two 


322  NASHVILLE   WARBLER 

parts  of  the  song  are  more  nearly  balanced.     The 
performance  varies  greatly  toward  the  end. 

The  Black-poll  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most 
beneficial  of  Warblers,  fairly  gorging  itself  on 
cankerworms. 

Canadian  Warbler :   Wilsonia  canadensis. 
(See  Fig.  184,  p.  346.) 

Upper  parts  gray ;  a  necklace  of  black  spots  on  yellow  of  throat. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Michigan  and  the  hills  of  southern  New  York  and  south- 
ern New  England  to  Manitoba  and  Labrador,  and  winters  in 
Central  and  South  America.  Length,  about  5-|  inches. 

The  Canadian  is  one  of  the  most  satisfactory 
of  Warblers,  for  it  may  be  recognized  at  sight  by 
its  necklace.  In  the  migrations  it  is  found  low 
in  bushes,  and  for  a  home  chooses  low  wet  woods. 

Its  spirited  song  is  given  by  Mr.  Ernest  Thomp- 
son as  "  rup-itrche,  rup-it-che,  rup-it-chitt-it  lit." 

Nashville  Warbler :  Helminthophila  rubricapilla. 

Adults,  head  gray,  with  chestnut  patch  in  crown ;  back  olive-green ; 

under  parts  bright  yellow.      Young,   duller.     Length,  about 

4|  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 

from  northern  Illinois  and  Connecticut  northward  to  Labrador 

and  the  fur  countries ;  winters  in  the  tropics. 

One  gets  so  accustomed  to  looking  for  a  multi- 
tude of  marks  on  the  Warblers,  sure  that  any 
least  dot  overlooked  will  prove  the  one  on  which 
identification  hangs,  that  when  one  comes  upon  a 


NASHVILLE  WARBLER  323 

member  of  the  family  with  no  marks  on  wings  or 
tail  and  a  general  uniformity  of  coloring,  it  seems 
as  if  there  were  nothing  to  identify  him  by,  and 
a  mental  state  of  helpless  perplexity  results.  But 
many  matters  in  life  are  best  treated  by  elimina- 
tion, and  the  plain  Warblers  are  not  so  confusing 
when  one  realizes  that  they  are  a  handful  to  be 
studied  apart,  and  free  from  the  mass  of  their 
confusingly  marked,  streaked,  and  spotted  breth- 
ren. Those  we  can  be  rid  of,  which  is  certainly 
something  to  be  thankful  for.  Looked  at  by 
himself,  the  Nashville  is  not  so  bad.  To  begin 
with,  his  head  is  bluish  gray,  which  is  a  mercy, 
for  that  is  unusual  in  combination  with  the  olive 
and  yellow  of  his  body.  Then  he  has  a  concealed 
chestnut  patch  in  this  gray  crown,  if  we  can  but 
see  it.  Furthermore,  he  hunts  close  to  the  ground, 
which  at  once  distinguishes  him  from  the  little 
wretches  which  hunt  so  high  in  the  treetops  it  is 
impossible  to  say  what  they  wear  on  head  or 
heels.  It  is  also  something  to  know  that  his 
ground  is  usually  in  "  open  woodland,  young 
second  growth,  or  tree-bordered  fields,"  and  that 
his  song,  "  wee-see-wee-see,  wit-a-wit-a-wit"  sug- 
gests in  its  first  half  the  song  of  the  Black  and 
White  Creeper,  and  in  the  last  half  that  of  the 
Chipping  Sparrow.  When  narrowed  down  in 
this  way,  he  ought  to  be  easily  identified,  and 
though  he  has  no  marks  it  is,  after  all,  a  satisfac- 
tion to  know  that  some  Warblers  are  plain  ! 


324 


BLACK  AND   YELLOW  WARBLER 


Black  and  Yellow  Warbler ;  Magnolia  Warbler : 

Dendroica  maculosa. 

Under  parts  yellow,  with  a  necklace  and  long1  pendants  of  black. 
Head  bluish  gray ;  large  white  patch  on  wings ;  ends  of  tail 
feathers  black  ;  middle,  white.  Length,  about  5  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  northern  Michigan  and  northern  New  England  to  Hud- 
son Bay,  and  southward  along  the  crests  of  the  Alleghanies  to 
Pennsylvania ;  winters  in  Central  America  and  West  Indies. 

The  Magnolia  does  not  suffer  from  dearth  of 
markings.  Identifying  him  is  like  taking  count 

of  each  stone  in  a 
mosaic  passed  rap- 
idly before  your 
bewildered  eyes. 
But  he  usually 
alights  in  a  low 
bush,  —  the  gods 
be  praised!  —  and 
two  impressions 
will  generally  re- 
main after  even  a  hurried  glimpse  —  large  white 
wing  patches  and  heavy  black  breast  blotches. 
The  one  point  to  note,  though,  if  we  could  but 
know  it  beforehand,  is  the  white  on  the  middle 
of  the  tail  feathers,  as  most  Warblers  wear  their 
polka  dots  at  the  tips  of  the  feathers. 

In  any  case  the  Black  and  Yellow  is  a  most 
striking  and  handsome  bird,  and  one  feels  greatly 
elated  over  discovering  him. 


FIG.  174. 

Black  and  Yellow  Warbler. 


PEAIRIE   WAEBLER  325 

His  song  is  given  as  a  rapidly  uttered  and 
falling  chee-to,  chee-to,  chee-tee-ee. 

Prairie  Warbler  :  Dendroica  discolor. 
(See  Fig.  181,  p.  346.) 

Under  parts  yellow,  sides  streaked  with  black ;  cheeks  marked 
with  black;  chestnut  patch  between  shoulders.  Length.  4|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States ;  breeds 
from  Florida  to  Michigan  and  Massachusetts ;  winters  in 
southern  Florida  and  West  Indies. 

Hillside  pastures  and  old,  overgrown  juniper 
fields,  whose  little  evergreens  give  character  to 
the  landscape  and  afford  cover  quite  to  the  mind 
of  Chewinks  and  Field  Sparrows,  prove  also  the 
best  places  to  look  for  the  attractive  little  Prairie 
Warbler.  It  may  be  known  by  the  dark  marks 
on  the  side  of  its  head  and  the  reddish  patch  on 
its  back  —  points  which  can  be  seen  when  the 
bird  is  perched  on  a  low  branch. 

The  song  of  the  Prairie  is  one  of  the  most  rest- 
ful of  bird  songs.  It  is  only  a  simple  ascending 
scale,  as  far  as  note  goes  ;  but  when  listened  to  on 
a  quiet  juniper  hillside,  its  delicious  z-y  quality, 
and  the  reposeful,  leisurely  way  in  which  each 
note  of  the  upward  scale  falls  on  the  ear,  make  it, 
to  me,  one  of  the  choicest  of  all  songs.  No  hint 
of  the  work-a-day  hurry  and  toil  is  to  be  found 
here ;  for  a  moment  you  step  aside  from  the  care- 
worn world  procession  and  stop  to  listen  to  the 
quieting  voice  of  Nature,  to  whom  hurry  and 
striving  are  unknown. 


326  BLACKBURNIAN   WARBLER 

The  quality  of  the  Prairie's  song  suggests  that  of 
the  Black-Throated  Green  and  the  Black-Throated 
Blue,  but  each  is  distinct.  The  Prairie's  is  a 
slow,  regular,  ascending  scale  ^^  ;  the  Green's, 

as  given  by  Mr.  Burroughs,  is ^/ ; 

while  the  Blue's  is  composed  of  three  phrases, 
each  in  descending  scale,  \  \  \ . 

Blackburnian  Warbler  :  Dendroica  blackburnice. 
.  (See  Fig.  185,  p.  346.) 

Adult  male,  throat  and  breast,  patch  in  crown  and  on  cheeks, 
bright  orange ;  back  black ;  wings  and  tail  largely  marked  with 
white.  Female  and  young,  similar,  but  duller.  Length,  5£ 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  northern  Minnesota,  northern  New  York,  and  southern 
Maine  northward  to  Labrador,  and  southward  along  the  Alle- 
ghanies  to  South  Carolina ;  winters  in  the  tropics. 

The  Redstart's  name  of  '  Candelita '  might 
well  be  applied  to  the  Blackburnian,  for  it  is  not 
only  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  little  War- 
bler butterflies,  but  its  flaming  orange-red  throat 
might  easily  suggest  a  torch  in  the  forest. 

The  song  of  the  Blackburnian  has  several 
forms.  Mr.  Torrey  says  that  one  ends  with  zip, 
zip,  another  begins  with  zillup,  zillup,  and  a  third 
"  runs  up  the  scale  to  high  Z." 


HOODED   WAEBLER  327 

Hooded  Warbler :  Wilsonia  mitrata. 
(See  Fig.  180,  p.  346.) 

Back  of  head  and  throat  black ;  under  parts,  forehead,  and 
cheeks  bright  yellow ;  back  olive-green.  Length,  about  5f 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States ;  breeds  as 
far  north  as  southern  Michigan,  western  New  York,  and  south- 
ern Connecticut,  and  winters  in  Central  America. 

One  spring,  when  watching  migrating  Warblers 
in  Central  Park,  my  attention  was  attracted  by 
the  unusual  sight  of  a  boy  peering  into  the  bushes 
with  opera  -  glasses.  When  he  discovered  me 
similarly  engaged,  he  came  hurrying  over,  asking 
eagerly  if  I  had  seen  the  Hooded  Warbler  he  was 
watching.  A  Hooded  Warbler!  I  had  never 
seen  one.  What  good  fortune  !  I  followed  my 
little  guide,  meditating  gratefully  upon  the  enthu- 
siasm which  makes  all  naturalists  akin,  and  when 
we  reached  the  bush,  found  that  the  striking  bird 
surpassed  anything  I  had  imagined.  How  quaint 
and  curious  he  is,  with  his  "  bright  yellow  face 
peering  out  from  its  black  sun-bonnet  "  !  What 
distinction  he  gives  to  the  inns  at  which  he  stops 
on  his  northward  journey !  That  little  bush  where 
he  hunted  seemed  indeed  a  royal  bush,  prouder 
than  any  in  the  Park.  Perhaps  he  will  visit  it 
again ;  it  would  do  no  harm  to  look  sharp  as  you 
pass  that  way,  for  where  a  bird  stops  one  year  he 
is  very  likely  to  stop  the  next.  It  was  in  the 
Ramble,  one  of  the  best  of  the  many  good  places 


328  HOODED   WARBLER 

for  Warblers,  on  a  slope  above  one  of  the  little 
ponds. 

Since  that  first  glimpse  of  the  handsome  bird  I 
have  had  the  delight  of  seeing  him  on  his  nesting 
grounds.  What  a  choice  place  it  was,  too,  just 
suited  to  the  distinguished  beauty !  High-arch- 
ing, vine-draped  woods  they  were,  carpeted  with 
dense  vegetable  undergrowth,  and  made  beautiful 
by  clear  brooks  winding  in  and  out  through  the 
greenery.  His  loud  song  rang  out  continuously, 
giving  us  the  pleasant  assurance  of  his  presence, 
though  he  hunted  so  low  in  the  thicket  we  had 
only  rare  glimpses  of  his  pretty  face. 

The  song  is  rather  a  hard  one  to  describe.  Mr. 
Nehrling  gives  it  as  we-che-e-o,  but  this  is  some- 
times prefaced  by  a  number  of  short  notes. 

The  nest  of  the  Hooded,  as  one  would  naturally 
imagine,  is  hung  low  in  the  crotch  of  a  bush  or 
sapling,  and  it  is  made  of  leaves,  strips  of  bark, 
and  rootlets.  The  eggs  are  white,  thinly  spotted 
with  brown,  generally  in  a  wreath  around  the 
larger  end. 


KENTUCKY   WAEBLER  329 


Kentucky  Warbler :  GeotUypis  formosa. 
(See  Fig.  186,  p.  346.) 

Upper  parts  olive ;  crown,  cheeks,  and  broad  line  bordering 
throat  black  ;  under  parts  bright  yellow.  Length,  about  5£ 
inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  Iowa  and  Connecticut^  winters  in  Cen- 
tral America. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Washington,  one  of  the 
best  places  for  birds  on  the  spring  migration  is 
along  the  eastern  wooded  bank  of  the  Potomac. 
There,  above  High  Island,  opposite  the  4  amphi- 
theatre '  one  day  early  in  May  we  heard  a  song  so 
like  the  famous  Carolina  Wren's  that  we  hurried 
off  in  its  direction.  Crossing  on  a  fallen  tree  that 
bridged  the  narrow  arm  of  the  Potomac,  we  were 
on  the  little  island  where  the  bird  was  singing. 
The  song  receded  as  we  advanced,  and  we  forced 
our  way  through  the  dense  tangle  of  undergrowth 
to  follow  it  till  we  came  suddenly  upon  a  forest 
garden,  a  great  blue  rug  spread  on  the  floor  of  the 
woodland  and  lit  up  by  the  sun  coming  through 
the  skylights  of  the  freshly  leafing  trees.  The 
delicacy  of  the  light  blue  phlox  and  its  vine-like 
tracery  of  meadow  rue  made  an  exquisite  spring 
picture.  There  was  such  a  luxuriant  growth  of 
the  phlox  that  negroes  were  picking  it  for  the 
market.  As  we  stood  absorbed  on  the  edge  of 
the  garden,  suddenly,  right  before  us,  rang  out 


330  KENTUCKY   WAEBLER 

the  wren-like  song  we  had  been  following,  and  on 
a  low  bush,  with  head  thrown  back,  the  bird  was 
singing.  But  —  the  brown  Wren  was  a  brilliant 
yellow,  with  black,  velvety  bands  bordering  his 
throat !  A  Kentucky  Warbler,  we  exclaimed  in 
excited  whispers,  and  then  stood  silent,  afraid  of 
startling  the  bird  that,  quite  unmindful  of  us,  now 
hopped  down  to  the  ground,  and  now  mounted  a 
bush  to  sing.  4  Klur-we,e,  klur-wee,  Mur-wee'  we 
repeated  after  him,  to  test  for  ourselves  Mr.  Tor- 
rey's  phrasing  of  it,  and  indeed,  at  times  the 
bird  pronounced  the  syllables  as  distinctly  as  a 
person.  And  with  what  richness  of  tone !  Surely 
it  is  a  song  that  goes  well  with  the  songster.  Mr. 
Torrey,  referring  to  his  notebook,  copies  the  ex- 
clamation made  in  the  field,  "  It  is  a  beauty ! " 
and  no  one  seeing  the  bird  for  the  first  time  in 
such  a  setting  as  we  saw  him  can  fail  to  share  his 
enthusiasm. 

But  how  about  the  Carolina  Wren  ?  We  did 
not  say  much  about  that  on  the  spot,  but  when 
we  got  home  and  consulted  the  books  our  self- 
respect  was  restored,  for  they  say  that  the  Ken- 
tucky's song  resembles  that  of  both  Wren  and 
Cardinal,  the  two  birds  whose  notes  are  so  puz- 
zlingly  similar. 


YELLOW-BREASTED   CHAT  331 


Yellow-breasted  Chat :  Icteria  virens. 

Upper  parts  olive-green  ;  under  parts  bright  yellow  ;  line  on  side 
of  throat,  and  from  eye  to  bill,  white.  Largest  of  the  War- 
blers. Length,  about  71  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States ;  breeds 
as  far  north  as  southern  Minnesota  and  Massachusetts,  and 
winters  in  Central  America. 

The  Chat  is  such  a  secretive  roysterer  one 
rarely  sees  but  the  sound  of  him,  but  one  day 
when  I  had  been  calling 
the  attention  of  my  bird 
class  to  the  song  of  the 
invisible  beauty,  and 
telling  them  that  they 
would  probably  never 
see  him  —  in  verification  FJG  175 

he    flew    up    on    a    tele-  Yellow-breasted  Chat. 

graph  wire  and  sang  be- 
fore the  whole  row  as  if  giving  the  class  notes 
in  his  own  proper  person,  unwilling  to  have  any 
uncertain  records  on  such  an  important  matter  I 
When  the  questions  of  yellow  breast,  white  eye- 
ring  and  throat  line  were  thus  settled  he  fell 
back  into  the  bush  and  gave  the  class  notes 
they  are  likely  to  remember  on  his  manner  of 
life.  It  was  not  his  fault  if  they  did  not  tear 
their  hair  as  well  as  rend  their  garments  as  he 
led  them  through  the  thicket;  for  he  skulked 
ahead,  singing  in  the  back  of  a  bush  when  they 


332  YELLOW-BREASTED   CHAT 

were  in  front,  and  whistling  in  loud,  aggravating 
tones  from  the  recesses  of  the  next  bush  when 
they  had  forced  a  way  through  the  briars  for  a 
sight  of  him  in  the  first.  To  the  excited  imagi- 
nations of  his  followers  his  two  loud  whistles  and 
the  tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut-tut  that  followed  were  as 
taunting  as  if  he  were  consciously  poking  fun '  at 
his  would-be  observers. 

Washington,  where  this  occurred,  is  blessed 
with  an  abundance  of  the  jovial  musicians,  and 
the  Zoological  Park  is  as  good  a  place  to  hear 
them  as  the  banks  of  the  Potomac.  When  not 
whistling,  chuckling,  or  otherwise  performing,  the 
Chat  barks  like  a  dog.  It  is  only  fair,  however, 
to  say  that  in  sober  moments  he  has  notes  of  rare 
richness  and  liquidity.  Indeed,  his  repertoire  is 
so  varied  that  he  is  well  called  the  4  Yellow  Mock- 
ingbird.' He  sings  at  night ;  serenades  ?  Per- 
haps. One  of  his  daylight  amusements  has  been 
described  by  Mr.  Torrey.  "  I  caught  the  fellow," 
he  says,  "in  the  midst  of  a  brilliant  display  of  his 
clownish  tricks,  ridiculous,  indescribable.  At  a 
little  distance,  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  it  can  be 
a  bird,  that  dancing,  shapeless  thing,  balancing 
itself  in  the  air  with  dangling  legs,  and  prancing, 
swaying  motions.  Well,  that  is  the  Chat's  way. 
What  more  need  be  said  ?  Every  creature  must 
express  himself,  and  birds,  no  less  than  other 
poets,  are  entitled  to  an  occasional  '  fine  frenzy.'  " 

The  birds,  it  can  well  be  imagined,  are  shy  at 


OVEN-BIRD  333 

the  nest.  No  ordinary  mortals  must  be  let  into 
the  personal  concerns  of  the  family.  If  one  care 
to  listen  to  a  soloist  at  a  respectful  distance,  that 
is  one  matter,  but !  If  one  cannot  watch  the  birds 
at  the  nest,  it  is  some  satisfaction  to  examine  it 
when  they  are  away,  for  it  is  low  to  the  ground, 
and  a  bulky  affair  of  leaves,  grass,  and  bark,  and 
the  eggs  are  large,  white,  and  evenly  spotted  with 
brown.  When  attending  to  serious  matters,  the 
Chat  is  said  to  eat  tent-caterpillars. 

Oven-bird :  Seiurus  aurocapillus. 

Crown  golden  brown,  inclosed  by  two  dark  lines  ;  rest  of  upper 
parts  olive-green  ;  under  parts  white,  streaked  with  black. 
Length,  about  63-  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Kansas  and  Virginia  northward  to  Manitoba  and  Labra- 
dor, southward  along  the  Alleghanies  to  South  Carolina ;  win- 
ters from  Florida  southward. 

In  Washington,  New  England,  and  New  York, 
one  of  the  commonest  and  most  pervading  wood- 
land songs  is  that  of  the 
Oven-bird.  It  is  a  repeti- 
tion of  the  word  teach-er,  or 
teach,  rising  from  an  ordi- 
nary tone  to  a  very  loud 
one,  so  marked  that  the  bird 
has  been  aptly  called  the 
4  Crescendo  Chicken.'  The  F^.  176. 

,  .  ,  *     .1  Oven-bird. 

chicken   part   of    the   name 

comes  from  the  fact  that,  instead  of  hopping,  the 


334  OVEN-BIRD 

bird  walks  on  the  ground,  quite  in  the  manner  of 
a  chicken.  Mr.  Burroughs  dubs  it  '  by  far  the 
prettiest  pedestrian  in  the  woods.'  As  it  walks, 
the  Oven-bird  bobs  its  head  much  like  a  Dove. 
Although  the  word  '  teacher  '  is  a  very  good  re- 
presentation of  one  of  the  commonest  forms  of 
its  song,  there  is  often  only  one  syllable  instead 
of  two — 'teach'  instead  of  'teach-er.'  The  song 
seems  to  come  from  under  your  very  feet,  but  you 
may  watch  for  a  long  time  without  getting  sight  of 
the  singer.  When  you  do  he  will  probably  be  on 
a  branch,  down  which  he  walks  primly.  On  stop- 
ping, he  throws  up  his  head  and  sings.  Look  well 
at  his  crown  as  he  throws  it  back,  for  if  the  light 
is  right  you  can  get  a  glint  of  the  golden  V  set 
in  between  two  dark  bands,  the  decoration  which 
gives  him  the  name  of  Golden-crowned  Thrush. 

When  he  flies  to  the  ground,  you  will  very 
likely  lose  sight  of  him  again  and  have  a  good 
opportunity  to  meditate  upon  the  perfection  of  his 
protective  coloration  and  gradation  of  tint.  The 
thin  smack  which  is  his  call  note  seems  quite  out 
of  character,  but  once  heard  will  be  easily  recog- 
nized. Though  you  think  you  know  the  Golden- 
crown,  you  have  not  realized  what  manner  of  bird 
he  is  until  you  have  heard  his  famous  love-song. 
It  is  as  if  a  musician  who  had  been  playing  scales 
had  suddenly  changed  to  an  impassioned  rhapsody. 
His  ecstacy  carries  him  off  his  feet  and  he  flies 
higher  and  higher  into  the  air,  pouring  out  his 


NORTHERN   WATER-THRUSH  335 

rapturous  love-song.  I  have  often  heard  frag- 
ments of  this  song  in  the  stillness  of  the  night, 
when  it  is  peculiarly  poetic,  as  if  the  bird's  joy- 
ous dreams  had  aroused  him. 

The  nest  of  the  Oven-bird  is  placed  on  the 
ground,  and,  though  made  only  of  dead  leaves, 
might  be  a  structure  of  stone,  so  skillfully  are  the 
leaves  placed  to  make  its  domed  roof  and  the  side 
entrance,  which  suggest  the  open  oven.  It  is  a 
rare  pleasure  to  see  the  birds  at  work  upon  it,  and 
a  coveted  one  to  watch  them  through  its  history. 
The  eggs  are  thickly  spotted  with  brown,  and  the 
nestlings  feathered  with  warm  brown.  In  feed- 
ing the  young,  the  Oven-bird  can  choose  from  its 
own  diet  of  earthworms,  crickets,  flies,  and  larvae. 

Northern  Water-Thrush  :  Seiurus  noveboracensis. 
(Fig.  177,  p.  336.) 

Upper  parts  dull  grayish  olive  ;  buffy  line  over  eye  ;  under  parts 

yellowish ;  entire  under  parts  streaked  with  black,  including 

throat.     Length,  about  6  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 

from  northern  Illinois  and  northern  New  England  northward  ; 

winters  from  the  Gulf  states  to  northern  South  America. 

This  Northern  Water-Thrush  is  seen  in  migra- 
tions, when  it  is  largely  silent.  It  is  seen  skulking 
along  the  muddy  banks  of  rivers,  brooks,  and 
ponds,  and  usually  under  cover  ;  while  its  larger 
relative,  the  Large-billed  or  Louisiana  Water- 
Thrush  does  not  care  for  cover,  and  prefers  clear 
mountain  streams  with  pebbly  bottoms.  The  call 


336  LOUISIANA    WATEE-THRUSH 

note  is  a  sharp,  metallic  cheep,  similar  to  the  call 
note  of  the  Maryland  Yellow-throat,  though  it  is 
louder  and  more  piercing. 

The  Water-Thrushes  have  the  characteristic 
motions  of  the  Wagtails,  which  are  suggested  by 
theii*  relative  the  Oven-bird,  with  his  tilting  tail 
and  bobbing  head.  As  one  watches  them  tilt  up 
and  down,  it  seems  as  if  it  must  be  exceedingly 
uncomfortable  to  be  attached  to  such  spring 
boards. 

Louisiana  Water-Thrush ;  Large-billed  Water- 
Thrush  :  Seiurus  motacilla. 

Upper  parts  dull  grayish  olive  ;  conspicuous  white  line  over  the 
eye  ;  under  parts  streaked  except  on  the  throat.  Length,  about 
6£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States ;  breeds 
as  far  north  as  Minnesota  and  Connecticut. 

The  Louisiana  or  Large-billed  Water-Thrush  is 


FIG.  177.  FIG.  178. 

Northern  Water-Thrush.  Louisiana  Water-Thrush. 

to  be  told  by  the  lack  of  streaks  on   its  throat. 
As  its  name  suggests,  it  is  the  more  southern  of 


WORM-EATING   WARBLER  337 

the  two,  and  so  the  common  one  in  the  southern 
United  States. 

Doctor  Mearns  gives  a  very  sympathetic  descrip- 
tion of  this  interesting  bird  in  his  notes  on  the 
Hudson  Highlands.  "  Even  a  casual  allusion  to 
this  little  bird,"  he  says,  "  recalls,  to  the  mind  of 
the  collector,  a  bright  picture  of  clear  mountain 
streams,  with  their  falls  and  eddies,  their  dams  of 
rocks  and  fallen  tree  trunks,  their  level  stretches 
flowing  over  bright,  pebbly  bottoms,  with  mossy 
banks  and  rocky  ferneries,  and  their  darting  min- 
nows and  dace ;  for  only  in  such  wild  localities 
is  the  Water  Wagtail  at  home.  There  you  will 
see  it  sitting  upon  the  stones,  close  beside  the 
foaming  water,  expressing  its  pleasure  at  its  sur- 
roundings by  constantly  repeating  its  single  chick. 
It  runs  about  (never  hopping)  over  the  stones 
and  moss,  gleaning  along  the  sandy  margin  of 
the  stream." 

The  song  of  the  Water-Thrush  is  famous  for 
the  wild  quality  of  its  ringing  notes. 

Worm-eating  Warbler  :  Helmitherus  vermivorous. 

Four  black  stripes  on  head ;    upper  parts  olive  ;  under  parts 

buffy.     Length,  about  5-J-  inches. 
GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  ;  breeds 

from  the  Gulf  states  north  to  southern  Illinois  and  southern 

Connecticut ;  winters  in  the  tropics. 

In  a  dry,  open  woods  near  Portland,  Connecti- 
cut, the  Worm-eating  Warbler  is  almost  sure  to 
nest.  When  going  to  see  the  bird  there  with  Mr. 


WORM-EATING   WARBLER 

John  H.  Sage,  we  heard  its  song  some  rods  away. 
At  first  it  sounded  like  an  insect ;  then,  on  nearer 
approach,  it  had  the  metallic  quality  of  a  rattle- 
snake's rattle  ;  and  when  within  sight  of  the  bird 
its  song  assumed  the  ring 
of  the  Pine-creeping  War- 
bler and  the  Chipping 
Sparrow,  though  distinct- 
ly different  from  both. 

^fy  ^rst  imPressi°n  of 
Worm-eating  Warbler.          the    bird  was   that   he  was 

brown,  then  that  he  was 

very  plump,  and  finally,  as  he  turned  over  his 
head  to  look  for  a  worm,  that  his  black-striped 
crown  was  strikingly  handsome  —  all  of  which 
points  were  a  surprise  after  the  pictures  in  the 
books. 

He  sang  with  his  head  thrown  back  and  his  bill 
wide  open,  his  drooping  tail  shaking  with  the 
energy  of  the  performance.  For  some  time  he  sang 
regularly  every  ten  seconds.  He  had  a  definite 
beat,  singing  up  and  down  the  length  of  a  shal- 
low ravine.  As  he  sang  he  hunted  quietly,  hop- 
ping down  the  branches  of  a  tree  in  ladder  fashion, 
dropping  from  the  tree  to  the  ground ;  flying  up 
to  another  tree,  and  again  down  to  the  ground. 
But  though  we  followed  him  closely,  and  thought 
we  examined  every  one  of  the  spots  he  visited  on 
the  ground,  we  were  unable  to  discover  the  rare 
bird's  nest  and  spotted  eggs,  and  had  to  leave  with 


WILSON'S   WARBLER  *       339 

only  the  memory  of  the  delightful  little  songster 
himself. 

Wilson's  Warbler:  Wilsonia pusilla. 
(See  Fig.  182,  p.  346.) 

Adult  male,  cap  black,  upper  parts  bright  olive-green  ;  under 
parts  bright  yellow ;  no  marks  on  wings  or  tail.  Female  and 
young,  similar,  but  generally  without  cap.  Length,  5  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America ;  breeds  from 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  Minnesota,  and  Nova  Scotia  northward ; 
winters  in  Mexico  and  Central  America. 

Piquant  and  jaunty,  this  little  black-capped 
yellow  Warbler  hunts  low  in  the  bushes,  and 
comes  out  to  peer  at  you,  twitching  its  tail  from 
side  to  side  in  pretty,  half  shy,  half  trustful  and 
interested  fashion. 

For  a  song,  it  has  a  surprisingly  harsh  chatter, 
and  its  call  is  rather  a  nasal  note. 

As  this  is  the  last  of  the  Warblers  we  will 
examine,  it  will  be  well  to  glance  back  over  the 
family,  to  make  sure  of  their  distinguishing  char- 
acters. 

The  Yellow  Warbler  may  be  known  by  its 
almost  uniformly  yellow  plumage,  and  the  red- 
dish brown  streaks  on  its  yellow  breast  (Fig. 
191 a)  ;  the  Redstart  by  its  salmon  and  black,  and 
its  long  fan-shaped  tail  (Fig.  195)  ;  the  Black- 
throated  Green  by  an  inverted  V  of  black  under- 
neath yellow  cheeks,  with  white  in  its  tail  (Fig. 
192)  ;  the  Black-throated  Blue  by  the  colors  that 
1  For  Figs.  180-195  see  pp.  346-348. 


340  WAEBLEES 

give  it  its  name,  and  the  white  spot  on  its  wing 
(Fig.  188)  ;  the  Black  and  White  by  its  zebra-like 
stripes  (Fig.  190) ;  the  Maryland  by  its  half 
mask  (Fig.  193)  ;  the  Red-poll  by  its  red  cap  and 
wagging  tail ;  the  Parula,  or  Blue  Yellow-backed, 
by  its  small  size,  yellow  patch  on  the  back,  and 
dark  band  across  the  throat  (Fig.  189) ;  the 
Chestnut-sided  by  its  yellow  cap  and  brown  sides 
(Fig.  183)  ;  the  Black-poll  by  its  black  cap  and 
black  and  white  stripes  (Fig.  187)  ;  the  Canadian 
by  its  gray  back,  yellow  under  parts,  and  black 
necklace  without  pendants  (Fig.  184)  ;  the  Prai- 
rie by  its  general  yellow  color  and  black  cheek 
marks  in  connection  with  the  reddish  patch  be- 
tween its  shoulders  (Fig.  181)  ;  the  Blackburnian 
by  its  gorgeous  orange  throat  (Fig.  185)  ;  the 
Hooded  by  its  black  hood  (Fig.  180)  ;  the  Chat 
by  its  large  size,  Mockingbird-like  song  and  bril- 
liant yellow  breast  (Fig.  175,  p.  331) ;  the  brown 
Worm-eating  by  its  four  black  head  stripes  (Fig. 
179,  p.  338)  ;  the  Kentucky  by  the  black  lines 
bordering  its  yellow  throat  (Fig.  186)  ;  and  the 
Nashville  by  its  gray  head,  yellow  under  parts, 
and  reddish  crown  patch.  The  Yellow-rump  and 
Magnolia  may  be  distinguished  by  the  large  white 
patch  on  the  wings  of  the  Magnolia,  added  to  the 
white  patches  on  the  middle  of  its  tail  feathers 
(Figs.  194,  and  174,  p.  324).  The  Oven-bird  and 
Water-Thrushes  may  be  told  apart  by  their  haunts, 
and  by  the  stripes  inclosing  the  orange  crown  of 


WARBLERS  341 

the  Oven-bird  (Figs.  176,  p.  333;  177,  and  178, 
p.  336);  while  the  Large-billed  Water-Thrush 
may  be  known  from  the  Northern  Small-billed  by 
the  fact  that  the  Large-billed  or  Louisiana  has  a 
plain  throat,  and  the  Small-billed  has  the  throat 
striped  all  the  way  up  to  the  bill;  also  by  the 
fact  that  the  northern  bird  is  comparatively  tame 
and  unsuspicious,  while  the  Louisiana  is  a  wild, 
shy  bird. 

The  Warblers  may  be  classified  roughly  by 
their  levels,  although,  as  birds  have  wings,  it  is 
not  safe  to  say  that  they  will  never  use  them  ex- 
cept by  the  yard-stick ;  and  many  birds  that  nest 
on  the  ground  frequent  treetops  when  migrating. 
The  Oven-bird  and  Water-Thrushes  live  largely 
on  the  ground ;  and  near  their  level,  in  low 
bushes,  are  generally  found  the  Kentucky,  Mary- 
land Yellow-throat,  and  Red-poll ;  while  between 
these  and  the  highest  treetop  Warblers  come  the 
Canadian,  Hooded,  Chat,  Prairie,  Redstart,  Chest- 
nut, Wilson's,  Yellow  Warbler,  Yellow-rumped, 
Black-throated  Blue,  the  Parula,  and  Magnolia. 
The  treetop  Warblers  we  have  not  taken  up  very 
much,  as  they  are  rare  and  difficult  to  identify ; 
but  the  Blackburnian  and  Black-throated  Green 
often  come  under  that  head. 

The  characteristic  Warbler  song  is  an  indis- 
tinct trill  of  little  character,  but  a  number  of  the 
songs  stand  out  remarkably.  Three  songs  have 
a  marked  z-y  quality  —  those  of  Black-throated 


342  KEY  TO    WARBLERS 

Green,  Blue,  and  Prairie.  The  Maryland  says 
witch-i-ty,  witch-it-ty,  witch-it-ty ;  the  Kentucky, 
Mur-wee,  klur-wee,  klur-wee,  or  tur-dle  dee,  tur-dle 
dee ;  the  Oven-bird  calls  teach-er  or  teach;  and 
the  Water-Thrushes  and  Chat  have  famous  songs. 
As  the  Warblers  live  exclusively  on  insects, 
they  go  far  south  in  winter  —  many  of  them  to 
South  America  —  so  that,  small  as  they  are,  they 
perform  remarkably  long  journeys,  many  nesting 
far  to  the  north  and  wintering  in  the  tropics. 
When  seen  on  their  migrations  they  are  hurrying 
through,  and  present  a  very  different  appearance 
from  the  quiet  Sparrows  who  have  weed  seeds 
enough  to  depend  on  if  they  are  overtaken  by  a 
cold  wave. 


Field  Key  to  Adult  Male  Warblers  in  Spring 
Plumage. 

1.  BRIGHT  YELLOW,  ORANGE,  OR  SALMON  IN  PLUMAGE. 
II.  No  BRIGHT  YELLOW,  ORANGE,  OR  SALMON  IN  PLU- 
MAGE. 

I.  BRIGHT  YELLOW,  ORANGE,  OR  SALMON  IN  PLUMAGE. 
1.  Under  parts  chiefly  yellow. 

2.  Under  parts  without  markings. 

Upper   parts  olive-green  ;   wings  and  tail   unmarked. 

Seen  near  the  ground. 
3.  Top  of  head  black. 

4.  A  broad  black  stripe  on  each  side  of  face  and  neck; 
black  cap  reaching  bill.  Song,  a  loud,  clear  whistle, 
klur-wee,  klur-wee,  klur-wee. 

p.  329.     KENTUCKY  WARBLER. 


KEY  TO    WARBLERS  343 

4'.  No  black  stripe  on  side  of  face  or  neck  ;  black  cap 
separated  from  bill  by  yellow  space.  Female  gen- 
erally Without  black  cap. 

p.  339.    WILSON'S  WARBLER. 

3'.  Top  of  head  not  black. 

5.  Head  and  neck  gray,  strongly  contrasted  with  color 
of  back  ;  cap  reddish  brown. 

p.  322.     NASHVILLE  WARBLER. 

5'.  Head  and  neck  not  gray,  same  color  as  back. 
6.  Broad  black  mask  over  bill  and  on  cheeks.     Song  a 
loud  ringing  wree'-chet-ty,  wree'-chet-ty,  wree'-chet-ty. 
Female  duller  and  without  mask. 

p.  315.    MARYLAND  YELLOW-THROAT. 

6'.  No  black  on  face  or  cheeks.  Largest  of  the  War- 
blers (length  about  1\  inches).  Song  mixed  with 
whistles,  chucks,  and  calls. 

p.  331.     YELLOW-BREASTED  CHAT. 

2'.  Under  parts  with  markings. 
7.  Throat  black. 

Face  yellow,  hooded  in  black.    Found  in  damp  woods. 
p.  327.     HOODED  WARBLER. 

T.  Throat  not  black. 
8.  A  ring  of  black,  or  black  spots  on  throat  or  breast. 

9.  Heavy  white  patches  on  wings  and  middle  of  tail 
feathers. 

p.  324.     BLACK  AND  YELLOW  WARBLER. 
9'.  No  white  patches  on  wings  or  tail. 

p.  322.     CANADIAN  WARBLER. 

8'.  No  ring  of  black  or  black  spots  on  throat  or  breast. 

10.  Under  parts  streaked  with  black,  chiefly  on  sides  ; 
middle  of  back  chestnut.     Found  in  old  fields  and 
juniper  pastures.    Female  sometimes  without  chest- 
nut patch     .     .     .     p.  325.     PRAIRIE  WARBLER. 


344  KEY  TO    WAEBLEES 

KX.  Under  parts  streaked  with  reddish  brown. 
11.  Streaking  inconspicuous  ;  top  of  head  yellow  or 
orange  ;  back  olive-yellow.     Found  in  shrubbery 
in  parks  and  gardens. 

p.  307.    YELLOW  WARBLER. 

11'.  Streaking   conspicuous  ;   top  of   head   chestnut, 
back  brown.     Twitches  tail. 

p.  316.     RED-POLL  WARBLER. 
1'.  Under  parts  not  chiefly  yellow. 
12.  Throat  black. 

13.  Upper  parts  black  ;  orange  patches  on  breast,  wings, 
and  tail.     Common  in  northern  woodland.     Female 
without  black,  and  orange  replaced  by  dull  yellow. 

p.  309.    REDSTART. 

13'.  Upper   parts   olive-green  ;    cheeks    yellow ;    white 
patches  on  tail. 

p.  311.    BLACK-THROATED  GREEN  WARBLER. 
12'.  Throat  not  black. 

14.  Throat  and  breast  yellow  or  orange. 

15.  Throat  and  breast  yellow,  interrupted  by  dark  band 
across    breast  ;  upper  parts    bluish    gray  ;   yellow 
patch  between  shoulders.     Female  sometimes  with- 
out dark  band  on  throat. 

p.  317.     PARULA  WARBLER. 

15'.  Throat  and  breast  orange,  not  interrupted  by  band ; 
crown  patch  orange  ;  back  black  ;  wings  and  tail 
with  large  white  blotches. 

p.  326.     BLACKBURNIAN  WARBLER. 
14'.  Throat  and  breast  not  yellow  or  orange. 

16.  Under  parts  white,  with  chestnut  on  sides  ;  crown 
yellow .     .    p.  318.     CHESTNUT-SIDED  WARBLER. 

16'.  Under  parts  white,  black,  and  yellow ;  crown  and 
rump  yellow.  One  of  the  first  Warblers  to  come 
north  in  spring,  and  last  to  go  south  in  fall. 

p.  310.    YELLOW-RUMPED  WARBLER. 


KEY  TO   WAEBLEES  345 

II.  No  BRIGHT  YELLOW,  ORANGE,  OR  SALMON  IN  PLU- 
MAGE. 

1.  Top  of  head  and  whole  of  back  uniform  dark  slate- 
blue.  Throat  and  sides  of  breast  black ;  rest  of  under 
parts  white  ;  conspicuous  white  spot  on  wing.  Female 
olive  above,  dull  yellowish  below. 

p.  312.    BLACK-THROATED  BLUE  WARBLER. 

1'.  Top  of  head  and  back  not  blue. 
2.  Plumage  mainly  black  and  white. 

3.  Cap  black,  rest  of  body  streaked  black  and  white. 

p.  321.     BLACK-POLL  WARBLER. 

3'.  Cap  not  black  ;  whole  body  streaked  black  and  white. 
Seen  on  tree  trunks. 
p.  314.    BLACK  AND  WHITE  CREEPING  WARBLER. 

2'.  Plumage  mainly  brownish. 

4.  Under  parts  not  streaked. 

Head  with  four  black  stripes;  back  olive-green.  Found 

in  dense  woodland.    Song  suggests  Chipping  Sparrow. 

p.  337.    WORM-EATING  WARBLER. 

4'.  Under  parts  streaked. 

5.  Crown  dull  orange,  inclosed  by  two  black  lines. 
Found  walking  in  dry  woodland.  Song,  a  loud  cres- 
cendo, teacher,  teacher,  teacher,  or  teach,  teach,  teach. 

p.  333.     OVEN-BIRD. 

5'.  Crown  olive-brown,  like  back.     Found  by  water. 
6.   Throat  as  well  as  breast  streaked.    A  northern  bird, 
p.  335.     WATER-THRUSH. 

6'.    Throat  not  streaked.   A  southern  bird,  coming  north 
to  southern  New  England. 

p.  336.    LOUISIANA  WATER-THRUSH. 


346 


WARBLERS 


FIG.  180. 
Hooded  Warbler. 


FIG.  181. 
Prairie  Warbler. 


FIG.  182. 
Wilson's  Warbler. 


Fig.  183. 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler. 


FIG.  184. 
Canadian  Warbler. 


FIG.  185. 
Blackburnian  Warbler. 


FIG.  186. 
Kentucky  Warbler. 


FIG.  187. 
Black-poll  Warbler. 


WARBLERS. 


WAB&LERS 


347 


FIG.  188. 

Black-throated  Blue 
Warbler. 


FIG.  189. 
Parula  Warbler. 


FIG.  190. 
Black  and  White  Creeper. 


FIG.  191. 
Yellow  Warbler. 


FIG.  192. 

Black-throated  Green 
Warbler. 


FIG.  193. 
Maryland  Yellow-throat. 


WARBLERS. 


348  AMERICAN  PIPIT 


FIG.  194.  FIG.  195. 

Yellow-rumped  Warbler.  Redstart. 

WARBLERS. 

American  Pipit ;  Titlark :  Anthus  pemilvanicus. 

Upper  parts  brownish  gray  ;  a  whitish  line  over  the  eye  ;  under 
parts  buffy,  streaked  with  black  ;  outer  tail  feathers  white  ; 
hind  toe-nail  elongated.  Length,  about  65-  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America  at  large,  breed- 
ing in  the  higher  parts  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  from  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  northward,  and  wintering  in  the  Gulf 
states,  Mexico,  and  Central  America. 

In  passing  plowed  fields  in  October,  be  on  the 
lookout  for  a  flock  of  these  curious  birds.  They 
are  invisible  until  you  startle  them,  when  a  few 
rise  at  a  time,  showing  white  tail  feathers  as  they 
go.  When  the  whole  flock  is  in  air,  if  you  keep 
quiet  they  may  light  again  after  circling  around 
with  their  wild  cheep,  cheep,  and  then,  although  you 
see  where  they  stop,  it  will  be  necessary  to  bear 
on  hard  with  your  eyes  to  distinguish  them  from 
the  brown  earth.  When  found  they  will  surprise 
you  by  their  peculiar  walk,  for  they  bob  their 
heads  as  the  Doves  do,  and  wag  their  tails  some- 
what like  Water-Thrushes. 


BROWN   CREEPER  349 

Their  business  on  the  plowed  ground  is  to 
pick  up  insects  and  larvae,  but  they  are  often 
ruthlessly  shot  for  sport  or  gun  practice.  I  saw 
a  wretched  case  of  this  sort  one  day  when  driving 
in  the  country.  The  report  of  a  gun  was  fol- 
lowed by  smoke  rising  over  a  plowed  field,  and 
then  a  flock  of  the  poor  little  creatures  rose  cry- 
ing into  the  air.  The  gunner  came  up,  gazing 
vacantly  over  the  field,  and  a  farmer  who  was 
plowing  there  held  up  his  horses  out  of  idle  curi- 
osity to  see  what  luck  the  sportsman  had  had,  and 
would  doubtless  have  been  amazed  if  told  that 
the  birds  shot  were  doing  anything  that  affected 
his  interests. 

Brown  Creeper  :  Certhia  familiaris  americana. 

Bill  curved ;  upper  parts  brownish,  streaked  with  white  ;  rump 
pale  reddish  brown  ;  one  light  wing-  bar  ;  under  parts  white  ; 
tail  feathers  stiff  and  sharply  pointed.  Length,  about  5|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  Minnesota,  New  York,  and  Maine  northward ;  winters 
from  northern  United  States  south  as  far  as  the  Gulf  states. 

This  is  one  of  the  unique  little  birds  whose  ways 
are  all  his  own.  To  be  sure,  the  Nuthatches  and 
Black  and  White  Creeper  affect  tree  trunks,  but 
not  so  exclusively  that  their  dress  and  tools  de- 
clare their  trade.  The  Brown  Creeper  is  bark 
color  to  begin  with,  and  then  his  bill  is  curved  to 
better  reach  the  insects  and  eggs  under  the  bark 
of  tree  trunks  (compare  Figs.  196-200,  p.  350)  ; 
his  hind  toe-nail  is  elongated,  to  better  bear  his 


350 


BEOWN   CEEEPER 


O 


FIG.  196. 
Curved  bill  of 
Brown  Creeper. 


FIG.  197. 

Straight  bill 

of  Wren, 


"•""O 

^  \*J 


FIG.  198. 
Hooked  bill  of  Shrike 


FIG.  199. 
Hooked  bill  of  Owl. 


FIG.  200. 
Hooked  bill  of  Hawk. 


weight  (compare  Figs. 
201-207);  while  his 
tail  is  so  sharply 
pointed  for  bracing 
at  his  work  that  it 
places  him 

with  the  Woodpeckers 
and  the  other  sharp-tailed 
birds.  (Compare  Figs. 
208-216,  pp.  352,  353.) 

The  Creeper's  way  of 
hunting  differs  essentially 
from  that   of    the   other 
tree  trunk  birds.       The 
Woodpeckers  hop   up   a 
trunk      and     may    back 
down  if  they  wish  to  re- 
trace their  steps ;  the  Nut- 
hatch goes    head  down  ; 
the    Black    and    White 
Creeper     zigzags    up    a 
trunk,hopping  gayly 
along,  branching  off 
as    his    fancy    dic- 
tates ;  but  the  Brown 
Creeper    rocks     se- 
dately up  the  bole, 
getting     its     insect 
and  larva?  dinner  in 
formal  fashion  as  it 


BROWN  CREEPER 


351 


FIG.  201. 
Climbing    foot  of 
Creeper  (hind  toe- 
nail  elongated). 


FIG.  202. 
Climbing    foot  of 

Woodpecker 

(two  toes   behind 

for  supporting 

body). 


goes.  It  often  circles  around 
the  trunk,  in  corkscrew  style, 
till  it  gets  near  the  top,  when 
it  shoots  obliquely  down  to 
the  foot  of  the  next  tree  and 
begins  to  rock  up  again. 

It  is  such  an  interesting 
bird  that  we  would  be  glad  to 
have  more  than  a  mere  passing 
woodland  acquaintance  with 
it,  and  Doctor  Mearns  assures 
us  that  by  hanging  a  bit  of 
pork  from  the  balcony  we  can 
attract  it  to  our  houses. 


FIG.  206. 

Walking  foot  of  Vul- 
ture. 


FIG.  203. 

Weak  foot   of  Night- 
hawk. 


FIG.  204. 
Strong  foot  of  Sparrow. 


FIG.  205. 

Walking  foot  of  Pi- 
pit (hind  toe-nail 
elongated). 


FIG.  207. 

Grasping  talons  of 
Hawk. 


352  BROWN   CREEPER 


FIG.  208. 
Square  tail  of  Vireo 


FIG.  209.  FIG.  210. 

Notched  tail  of  Pine  Finch.         Forked  tail  of  Barn  Swallow. 

The  nest  of  the  Creeper  is  one  to  be  searched 
for  diligently,  it  is  such  an  oddity  in  bird  archi- 
tecture. It  is  tucked  in  under  a  bit  of  loose  bark 
on  the  side  of  a  tree  trunk,  where  it  has  a  ready- 
made  Mansard  roof  to  keep  off  the  rain,  and  a 
cosy  home  of  it  in  all  respects.  Good  notes  on 
the  history  of  one  of  these  nests  would  be  valu- 
able, as  the  bird  has  been  studied  comparatively 
little. 

The  song  of  the  Creeper  is  described  by  Mr. 
Brewster  as  exquisitely  pure  and  tender,  alter- 
nately rising  and  falling,  and  "  dying  away  in  an 
indescribably  plaintive  cadence,  like  the  soft  sigh 
of  the  wind  among  the  pine  boughs." 

With  the  Creepers  we  complete  thirteen  of 
the  families  of  Perching  birds,  and  will  do  well 
to  glance  over  the  bills  and  feet  added  to  our  list. 
(See  pp.  350,  351.  Compare  Figs.  106-121,  pp. 
192,  193.)  We  can  also  compare  the  types  of 


TYPES  OF  TAILS 


353 


FIG.   211. 

Pointed  tail    of 

Bobolink. 


FIG.  215. 
Forked  tail  of  Swallow-tailed 

Kite. 


FIG.  212. 
Pointed  tail  of  Brown  Creeper. 


FIG.  213. 
Pointed  tail  of  Sapsucker. 


FIG.  214. 
Awl-like  tip  of  Swift  tail  Fl<>.  216. 

feather.  Fan-shaped  tail  of  Ruffed  Grouse. 


354  BUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET 

tails.  The  list  stands  now:  1.  Flycatchers.  2. 
Larks.  3.  Crows  and  Jays.  4.  Blackbirds  and 
Orioles.  5.  Finches  and  Sparrows.  6.  Tanagers. 
7.  Swallows.  8.  Waxwings.  9.  Shrikes.  10. 
Vireos.  11.  Wood  Warblers.  12.  Pipits.  13. 
Thrashers,  Wrens,  Catbirds.  14.  Creepers.  15. 
Nuthatches  and  Titmice. 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglet :  Regulus  calendula. 
(See  Fig.  218,  p.  356.) 

Adult  male,  crown  with  concealed  scarlet  patch  ;  upper  parts 
olive-green  ;  under  parts  whitish.  Female  and  young,  similar 
but  without  scarlet  patch.  Length,  about  4£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America,  south  to  Guate- 
mala ;  breeds  from  the  Sierra  Nevada,  Rocky  Mountains,  and 
the  high  mountains  of  Arizona  and  eastern  United  States 
north  to  the  arctic. 

If  you  have  thorn-apple  or  fruit  trees  on  your 
premises,  keep  close  watch  of  them  during  the 
migrations,  and  some  morning  you  will  find  a  tree 
alive  with  a  flock  of  plump  little  olive-green  birds 
that  lift  their  wings  like  the  Bluebird  and  Pine 
Grosbeak.  They  are  too  short  and  plump  to  be 
either  Warblers  or  Vireos,  and  when  one  of  them 
is  moved  by  love  or  war,  he  will  lift  the  green 
feathers  of  his  cap  and  disclose  his  mark  —  a 
concealed  scarlet  patch  —  by  which  all  men  may 
know  him  to  be  a  Ruby-crowned  Kinglet. 

If  you  come  too  near,  he  may  favor  you  with 
a  little  chattering  scold,  but  will  pay  little  more 
attention  to  you,  as  Kinglets  have  small  fear  of 


RUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET  355 

man,  and  are  too  busy  about  their  own  affairs  to 
be  curious  about  their  neighbors. 

The  song  of  the  Ruby  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable of  bird  songs,  being  comparable  with 
that  of  the  Winter  Wren.  My  first  experience 
with  it  was  when  Mr.  Burroughs  took  out  a  party 
of  girls  at  Smith  College,  and  pointed  out  the 
diminutive  songster  in  the  pines.  Several  years 
later,  when  the  Ruby  was  in  Central  Park  on  its 
way  north,  Mrs.  Olive  Thome  Miller  came  over 
from  Brooklyn  expressly  to  hear  it,  and  we  spent 
a  morning  in  the  Ramble  listening  to  it,  marvel- 
ing at  the  volume  and  the  ringing  quality  of  the 
notes.  The  following  October  I  heard  the  King- 
let again,  but  this  time  the  song  was  a  low,  sweet, 
liquid  warble,  smooth  and  rounded,  but  without 
the  force  or  ecstacy  of  spring.  It  seemed  a  fitting 
Indian  Summer  meditation,  though  without  the 
languor  of  the  season,  being  full  of  the  freshness 
of  the  breeze  that  tempers  the  heat  of  the  autumn 
sun. 


356 


GOLDEN-GEOWNED  KINGLET 


Golden-crowned  Kinglet :  Regulus  satrapa. 

Male,  centre  of  crown  orange,  bordered  by  black  and  yellow 
lines ;  rest  of  upper  parts  olive-green ;  under  parts  whitish. 
Female,  similar,  but  centre  of  crown  yellow.  Length,  about 
4  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  North  America;  breeds  from 
the  northern  United  States  northward,  and  southward  along 
the  Rockies  into  Mexico,  and  in  the  Alleghanies  to  North  Caro- 
lina ;  winters  from  the  southern  limit  of  its  breeding1  range  to 
the  Gulf  states. 

The  Kuby-crowned  Kinglets  are  the  first  on  the 
ground  in  the  fall,  but  some  morning  you  will 
discover  some  beautiful  Golden- 
crowns  with  the  Rubies. 

The  song  of  the  Golden  is  a 
high,  thin  ti-ti9  very  different 
from  the  chatter  of  the  Ruby. 
Its  song  is  described  by  Mr. 
Brewster  in  '  The  Auk '  as  be- 
ginning with  shrill,  high-pitched, 
faltering  notes,  and  ending  with 
a  short,  rapid,  and  rather  ex- 
plosive warble. 

In  winter  the  Kinglets  may 
be  seen  in  the  Washington  Zoo, 
and  other  places  in  the  south, 
in  company  with  Carolina  Chick- 
adees, Nuthatches,  and  Tufted  Titmice, 


FIG.  217. 
Golden-crowned 
Kinglet. 


Fig.  218. 

Ruby-crowned 

Kinglet. 


KEY  TO  KINGLETS  AND  GNATCATCHERS     357 
Blue -gray  Gnat  catcher :  Polioptila  ccerulea. 

Adult  male,  upper  parts  bluish  gray  ;  under  parts  whitish  ;  fore- 
head and  line  over  bill  black ;  outer  tail  feathers  white  ;  mid- 
dle ones  black.  Adult  female,  similar,  but  without  the  black 
on  the  head.  Length,  4i  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  United  States  ;  breeds 
from  the  Gulf  states  to  northern  Illinois,  southern  Ontario, 
and  New  Jersey,  and  wanders  rarely  to  Minnesota  and  Maine  ; 
winters  from  Florida  southward. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  piquant  and  original 
of    birds    and  will  well  repay  close  study.     He 
goes  about  with  wings  hanging, 
whipping   his  tail  as  he  flirts 
from  branch    to    branch,   and 
flips  out  into  the  air  after  the 
small  winged  insects,  reminding 
one   of  a   Redstart.      His  call        Blue-gray  Gnat- 
note  is  as  distinctive  as  every- 
thing else  about  him  —  a  nasal  tsang.     He  war- 
bles an  inconsequent  little  song  as  he  works. 

Key  to  Adult  Male  Kinglets  and  Gnatcatchers. 

1.  Upper  parts  bluish  gray  ;  summer  residents. 

Black  line  on  forehead;  tail  black,  outer  feathers  white. 
p.  357.     BLUE-GRAY  GNATCATCHER. 

V.  Upper  parts  olive-green  ;  winter  visitors. 
2.  Crown  reddish  orange  bordered  by  black  and  yellow, 
p.  356.     GOLDEN-CROWNED  KINGLKT. 

2'.  Crown  with  concealed  scarlet  patch. 

p.  354.    RUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET. 


358  VEERY   THRUSH 

Thrushes. 

The  Thrushes  are  the  quiet,  brown,  woodland 
choristers,  the  most  famous  of  American  songsters. 
They  are  named  with  the  Skylark  and  Night- 
ingale, but  it  is  said  their  songs  have  more  rich- 
ness and  spirituality  than  either  of  the  far-famed 
Europeans. 

Thrushes  are  easily  recognized,  for,  barring  the 
Robin,  they  all  have  plain,  brown  backs  and 
white,  spotted  breasts. 

Like  the  Robin  they  are  often  seen  on  the 
ground,  where  they  feed  on  grubs,  worms,  and 
beetles  found  by  turning  up  the  leaves  ;  but  in 
fall  they  are  found  on  the  elder  bushes,  and  it  is 
well  to  take  the  hint  and  plant  the  berries  for 
them. 

Veery  Thrush ;  Tawny  Thrush ;  Wilson's 
Thrush :  Turdus  fuscescens. 

(See  Fig.  220,  2,  p.  361.) 

Upper  parts  uniformly  warm  brown ;  breast  tawny,  slightly 
marked  with  small  dark  spots.  Length,  about  7|  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America ;  breeds 
from  northern  Illinois  and  Pennsylvania  to  Manitoba  and 
Newfoundland,  and  southward  along  the  Alleghanies  to  North 
Carolina ;  winters  in  Central  America. 

The  Veery  is  a  peculiarly  companionable  bird 
to  those  who  live  near  its  haunts.  It  will  become 
so  tame  as  to  nest  close  to  a  house  if  not  dis- 
turbed, and  when  sought  in  its  natural  woodland 


OLIVE-BACKED   THEUSH  359 

home  will  meet  your  friendly  advances  with  con- 
fidence, answering  your  whistle  with  its  own 
sweet  wavering  whee-u,  till  you  feel  that  the 
woods  hold  gentle  friends  to  whom  you  will 
gladly  return.  Hold  a  stiff  beech-leaf  at  right 
angles  to  your  lips,  and  whistle  softly  a  series  of 
descending  whee-u,  whee-u,  whee-whee-u's,  and  you 
will  get  a  little  of  the  reed-like  quality  and  phras- 
ing of  the  Veery's  song.  To  me  it  has  all  the 
restfulness  of  the  sunny  beech  woods  in  summer, 
for  it  is  one  of  my  best-loved  home-birds. 

Olive-backed  Thrush  :  Turdus  ustulatus  swainsonii. 
(See  Fig.  220,  4,  p.  361.) 

Upper  parts  uniformly  olive ;  throat  buff y ;  breast  lightly  spot- 
ted. Length,  about  7£  inches. 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Breeds  from  Manitoba,  northern 
New  England,  and  New  Brunswick  to  Alaska  and  Labrador, 
and  southward  along  the  Alleghanies  to  Pennsylvania ;  win- 
ters in  the  tropics. 

This  northern  Thrush  may  be  heard  singing  on 
its  spring  migration,  and  its  song  is  said  to  be 
forcibly  delivered  and  ringing.  The  call  note  is 
puk. 


360      KEY  TO   THRUSHES  AND  BLUEBIRDS 

Hermit  Thrush  :  Turdus  aonalaschkce  pallasii. 
(Plate  XXVIII.) 

GEOGRAPHIC  DISTRIBUTION.  —  Eastern  North  America,  breed- 
ing from  the  northern  Alleghanies,  the  mountainous  parts  of 
southern  New  England,  southern  New  York,  and  northern 
Michigan,  etc.,  northward,  and  wintering  from  the  northern 
states  southward. 

The  Hermit  has  a  distinguishing  reddish  tail, 
which  it  raises  and  lowers  as  it  gives  its  charac- 
teristic call  of  chuck. 

The  song  of  the  Hermit  has  the  leisurely  quality 
which  that  of  the  Olive-backed  lacks,  and  it  fades 
away  while  the  Olive's  4  bubbles  on  '  to  the  end. 

The  songs  of  the  Wood  Thrush  and  Hermit 
resemble  each  other  in  their  spiritual  quality; 
but  the  Hermit  has  a  more  chant-like  utterance, 
and  its  first  high  strain  arouses  emotions  which 
its  regularly  falling  cadences  carry  to  a  perfect 
close.  The  song  is  one  for  which  many  of  na- 
ture's devotees  make  long  pilgrimages ;  and  to  my 
mind  it  excels  that  of  any  bird  I  have  ever  heard, 
being,  above  all  others,  serene  and  uplifting. 

Key  to  Thrushes  and  Bluebirds. 

1.  Back  blue. 

Breast  reddish  brown p.  41.     BLUEBIRD. 

1'.  Back  brown  or  brownish. 

2.  Under  parts  bright  reddish  brown       .     p.  17.     ROBIN. 
2'.  Under  parts  white,  more  or  less  spotted. 
3.  Tail  reddish  brown. 

Breast  thickly  spotted.     Found  in  deep  woods.     Call, 
chuck p.  360.     HERMIT  THRUSH. 


PLATE  XXVIli.  —  HERMIT  THRUSH 

Upper  parts  olive-brown  ;  tail  reddish  brown;  throat  and  breast 
spotted.     Length,  about  7j  inches. 


KEY  TO   THRUSHES  AND  BLUEBIRDS      361 

3'.  Tail  not  reddish  brown. 

4.  Under  parts  heavily  spotted  ;  breast  white ;  upper 
parts  golden  brown,  brightest  on  head.  Call,  pit- 
a-pit. Most  familiar  of  Thrushes. 

p.  22.     WOOD  THRUSH. 

4'.  Under  parts  not  heavily  spotted  ;  breast  tawny. 
5.  Back  uniformly  cinnamon  brown  ;  breast  spots  very 
small  and  brown  ;  sides  whitish.     Call  whee-u. 

p.  358.     WILSON'S  THRUSH. 

5'.  Back   uniformly   olive;    breast   spots   larger    and 
black  ;  sides  brownish  gray.     Migrant. 

p.  359.  OLIVE-BACKED  THRUSH. 


FIG.  220.    THRUSHES. 

1.  Hermit    Thrush.      2.  Wilson's   Thrush.      3.  Wood  Thrush. 
4.  Olive-backed  Thrush. 

With  the  Thrushes  we  finish  the  list  of  Perch- 
ing Birds,  and  will  do  well  to  take  a  final  review 


362     COMPARISON  OF   GEOUPS   OF  BIRDS 

of  all  the  birds  we  have  spoken  of  in  the  order  in 
which  they  belong.  The  hen -like  Grouse  and 
Quail,  the  Pigeons  and  Doves,  and  the  mice- 
destroying  Hawks  and  Owls,  carry  their  pictures 
with  their  names.  The  caterpillar-eating,  long 
brown  Cuckoos  and  the  water-haunting  blue  King- 
fishers are  followed  by  the  forest-preservers,  the 
black  and  white  tree-trunk-loving  Woodpeckers. 
The  slender-billed  Hummingbird  and  the  gaping- 
mouthed  Swifts  and  Goatsuckers  —  Nighthawks 
and  Whip-poor-wills  —  make  the  last  order  be- 
fore that  of  the  Perching  Birds.  Of  these  the 
Gray  Flycatchers  match  the  bare  twigs  on  which 
they  lie  in  wait  for  their  prey ;  the  Horned  Larks 
have  curious  black  horns ;  the  Crows  and  Jays 
are  powerful  birds  of  strong  bills  and  feet ;  the 
Blackbirds  and  Orioles,  strikingly-colored  birds, 
most  of  which  spend  their  days  devouring  insects ; 
and  the  Finches  and  Sparrows,  a  family  which 
does  equal  public  service  by  making  way  with 
vast  amounts  of  weed  seed.  The  Tanagers  are 
our  most  brilliantly  plumaged  birds,  our  truly 
tropical  visitors ;  the  Swallows,  the  birds  of  the 
air  ;  the  Waxwings,  the  fawn -colored,  crested, 
silent,  cankerworm-eaters ;  the  Shrikes,  the  im- 
palers  of  grasshoppers,  birds,  and  mice ;  the 
Yireos,  the  green  caterpillar-birds  ;  the  Warblers, 
speaking  broadly,  the  parti-colored  butterflies ; 
the  Pipits,  the  ground-colored  wagtails ;  the 
Thrashers  and  Wrens,  the  brilliant  musicians  ; 


COMPABISON   OF  GROUPS   OF  BIRDS     363 

the  Creepers,  the  demure,  systematic,  tree  trunk 
birds ;  the  Nuthatches  and  Titmice,  the  cheery 
winter  friends ;  the  Kinglets  and  Gnatcatchers, 
the  restless  little  birds  that  are  good  opposites  of 
the  quiet,  dignified  Thrushes  and  Bluebirds,  who 
stand  in  the  place  of  the  most  highly  developed 
of  birds. 

LAND   BIRDS.1 

Order       I.  Grouse  and  Quail,  p.  40. 
"         II.  Pigeons  and  Doves,  p.  80. 
"       III.  Birds  of  Prey,  pp.  285-287;  296,  297. 
"        IV.  Cuckoos  and  Kingfishers,  p.  165. 
"          V.  Woodpeckers,  pp.  216,  217. 
"        VI.  Goatsuckers,  Hummingbirds,  Swifts,  p.  193. 
"      VII.  Perching  Birds. 

1.  Flycatchers,  pp.  260,  261. 

2.  Larks,  p.  261. 

3.  Crows  and  Jays,  p.  220. 

4.  Blackbirds  and  Orioles,  pp.  Ill,  112. 

5.  Finches  and  Sparrows,  pp.  246-251. 

6.  Tanagers,  p.  174. 

7.  Swallows,  pp.  196,  197. 

8.  Waxwings,  p.  141. 

9.  Shrikes,  p.  300. 

10.  Vireos,  p.  304. 

11.  Wood  Warblers,  pp.  342-345. 

12.  Pipits,  p.  348. 

13.  Wrens  and  Thrashers,  205,  206. 

14.  Creepers,  p.  349. 

15.  Nuthatches  and  Titmice,  p.  152. 

16.  Kinglets  and  Gnatcatchers,  p.  357. 

17.  Thrushes  and  Bluebirds,  pp.  360,  361. 

1  The  Order  of  Parrots,  Macaws,  and  Paroquets  and  the  Family  of  Star- 
lings are  not  taken  up  in  this  book,  and  so  are  omitted  from  the  list  of  Land 
Birds. 


APPENDIX 


MIGRATION 

MIGRATION  BLANKS.  —  Convenient  migration  blanks  are 
issued  by  the  Biological  Survey,  and  may  be  had  on  appli- 
cation to  the  Biological  Survey,  Department  of  Agriculture, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

The  form  of  the  blanks  will  be  helpful  for  individual 
notebook  records. 

INSTRUCTIONS   FOR   USE   OF   BLANK    (p.  368). 

In  the  first  column  should  be  stated  the  exact  date  when  each 
kind  of  bird  was  first  seen.  This  entry  should  be  made  on  the 
day  the  bird  arrives  —  not  from  memory  afterwards  (general 
statements  such  as  '  late  in  March,'  '  early  in  April,'  etc.,  are  of 
no  value). 

In  the  second  column  should  be  stated,  with  as  much  exactness 
as  possible,  the  number  of  each  kind  of  bird  observed  during 
the  day  it  was  first  seen. 

In  the  third  column  should  be  stated  the  date  when  the  same 
kind  of  bird  was  next  seen  —  whether  this  happens  on  the  very 
next  day,  the  next  week,  or  not  till  a  month  later. 

In  the  fourth  column  should  be  stated  the  date  when  the  bird 
becomes  common.  Some  birds  come  in  a  body  and  are  common 
from  the  day  of  their  first  arrival,  while  others  straggle  along 
and  are  not  common  for  a  month  or  more  ;  and  others  still  are 
never  common. 

In  the  fifth  column  should  be  stated  the  last  date  when  the 
bird  was  observed.  In  the  SPRING  MIGRATION  this  column  will 
remain  vacant  in  those  species  which  breed  in  the  neighborhood, 
as  it  can  be  filled  only  when  all  the  individuals  go  north.  In 
the  FALL  MIGRATION  it  should  be  filled  in  those  species  which 
pass  farther  south,  but  must  remain  vacant  in  those  which  spend 
the  winter  in  the  vicinity  of  the  station. 

In  the  sixth  column  should  be  stated  whether  the  species  is 
abundant,  common,  tolerably  common,  or  rare. 


368 


MIGRATION  BLANK 


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THE  SPEING  MIGRATION 


369 


MIGRATION  LISTS.  —  When  beginning  to  keep  migration 
records,  it  will  be  a  help  to  consult  a  local  list  of  the  same 
general  region.  For  this  purpose  three  are  given  here,  one 
of  the  latitude  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  made  by  Mr.  William 
Palmer  ;  one  for  the  latitude  of  Portland,  Connecticut,  by 
Mr.  John  H.  Sage  ;  and  one  for  St.  Louis,  compiled  from 
migration  lists  of  Mr.  Otto  Widmann,  in  the  files  of  the 
Biological  Survey.1 

SPRING    MIGRATION   AT    ST.    LOUIS,    MO. 


Feb.  15-March  10? 
Turkey  Buzzard. 
Flicker. 
Cowbird. 

Red-winged  Blackbird. 
Meadowlark. 
Crow  Blackbird. 
Field  Sparrow. 
Che  wink. 

March  10-20. 
Red-shouldered  Hawk. 
Sparrow  Hawk. 
Kingfisher. 
Sap  sucker. 
Phcebe. 

Rusty  Grackle. 
Purple  Finch. 
Goldfinch. 
Swamp  Sparrow. 
Purple  Martin. 
Tree  Swallow. 
Loggerhead  Shrike. 
Yellow-rumped  Warbler. 
Bewick's  Wren. 


Brown  Creeper. 
Golden-crowned  Kinglet. 

March  20-31. 
Marsh  Hawk. 
Chipping  Sparrow. 
Waxwing. 
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet. 

April  1-10. 
Mourning  Dove. 
Swift. 

Barn  Swallow. 
Rough-winged  Swallow. 
Mockingbird. 
Brown  Thrasher. 
Winter  Wren. 
Gnatcatcher. 
Hermit  Thrush. 

April  10-20. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker. 
Kingbird. 
Vesper  Sparrow. 
Savanna  Sparrow. 
Lark  Sparrow. 


1  These  lists  include  only  land  birds. 

2  Dates  of  arrival. 


370 


THE  SPRING  MIGRATION 


White-crowned  Sparrow. 
White-throated  Sparrow. 
Lincoln's  Sparrow. 
Cliff  Swallow. 
Barn  Swallow. 
Yellow-throated  Vireo. 
White-eyed  Vireo. 
Parula  Warbler. 
Sycamore  Warbler. 
Oven-bird. 

Louisiana  Water-Thrush. 
Maryland  Yellow-throat. 
House  Wren. 

April  20-30. 
Nighthawk. 

Great-crested  Flycatcher. 
Wood  Pewee. 
Acadian  Flycatcher. 
Least  Flycatcher. 
Orchard  Oriole. 
Baltimore  Oriole. 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 
Indigo  Bunting. 
Dickcissel. 
Scarlet  Tanager. 
Summer  Tanager. 
Bank  Swallow. 
Red-eyed  Vireo. 
Warbling  Vireo. 
Black  and  White  Warbler. 
Worm-eating  Warbler. 
Blue-winged  Warbler. 
Nashville  Warbler. 
Tennessee  Warbler. 
Yellow  Warbler. 
Cerulean  Warbler. 


Black-poll  Warbler. 
Yellow  Redpoll. 
GrinnelFs  Water-Thrush. 
Kentucky  Warbler. 
Yellow-breasted  Chat. 
Hooded  Warbler. 
Canadian  Warbler. 
Redstart. 
Catbird. 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 
Wood  Thrush. 
Gray-cheeked  Thrush. 
Swainson's  Thrush. 

May  1-10. 
Black-billed  Cuckoo. 
Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 
Hummingbird. 
Alder  Flycatcher. 
Bobolink. 
Bell's  Vireo. 
Black-throated    Blue 

Warbler. 

Magnolia  Warbler. 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler. 
Black-throated  Green 

Warbler. 

Wilson's  Warbler. 
Wilson's  Thrush. 

May  10-20. 
Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 
Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher, 
Blackburnian  Warbler. 
Connecticut  Warbler. 
Mourning  Warbler. 


THE  SPEING  MIGRATION 


371 


SPRING  MIGRATION   AT   WASHINGTON,   D.    C. 


March  1-15.1 
Cowbird. 

Red-winged  Blackbird. 
Rusty  Blackbird. 
Crow  Blackbird. 

March  15-21. 
Song  Sparrow. 
Swamp  Sparrow. 

April  1-7. 
Phoebe. 

Vesper  Sparrow. 
Savanna  Sparrow. 
Grasshopper  Sparrow. 
Rough-winged  Swallow. 
Passenger  Pigeon.2 

April  7-14. 
Mourning  Dove. 
Sapsucker. 
Chipping  Sparrow. 
Field  Sparrow. 
Tree  Swallow. 
Yellow-rumped  Warbler. 
Yellow  Palm  Warbler. 
Brown  Thrasher. 
Ruby  Kinglet. 
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher. 


April  14-21. 
Whip-poor-will. 
Nighthawk. 

1  Dates  of  arrival  in  numbers. 

2  Nearly  extinct. 


Swift. 
Kingbird.  • 
Bachman's  Sparrow.3 
Chewink. 
Purple  Martin. 
Barn  Swallow. 
Yellow-throated  Vireo. 
Blue-headed  Vireo. 
Black  and  White  Creeper. 
Parula  Warbler. 
Yellow  Warbler. 
Prairie  Warbler. 
Oven-bird. 

Louisiana  Water-Thrush. 
Maryland  Yellow-throat. 
Bewick's  Wren.8 
House  Wren. 
Long-billed  Marsh  Wren. 
Wood  Thrush. 

April  21-28. 
Hummingbird. 
Great-crested  Flycatcher. 
Olive-sided  Flycatcher.8 
Least  Flycatcher. 
Orchard  Oriole. 
Purple  Finch. 
Scarlet  Tanager. 
Summer  Tanager. 
Red-eyed  Vireo. 
Warbling  Vireo. 
White-eyed  Vireo. 
Nashville  Warbler. 


3  Very  rare. 


372 


THE  SPRING  MIGRATION 


Black-throated  Blue  Warbler. 
Black  and  Yellow  Warbler. 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler. 
Black-throated  Green 
•     Warbler. 
Water-Thrush. 
Wilson's  Warbler. 
Redstart. 
Catbird. 

May  1-7. 

Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 
Black-billed  Cuckoo. 
Bobolink. 
Baltimore  Oriole. 
White-crowned  Sparrow. 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 
Cliff  Swallow. 


Bank  Swallow. 
Worm-eating  Warbler. 
Blue-winged  Warbler. 
Golden-winged  Warbler. 
Blackburniau  Warbler. 
Kentucky  Warbler. 
Yellow-breasted  Chat. 
Hooded  Warbler.1 

May  7-14. 
Wood  Pewee. 
Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher. 
Acadian  Flycatcher. 
Alder  Flycatcher. 
Black-poll  Warbler. 
Wilson's  Warbler. 
Canadian  Warbler. 
Olive-backed  Thrush. 


SPRING  MIGRATION   AT   PORTLAND,   CONN. 

Date  of  arrival.  Date  of  departure. 

Feb.  15-         Phoebe.  Oct.  6-14. 

Mar.  10.         Red-winged  Blackbird.  Oct.  22-Nov.  1. 

Purple  Grackle.  Oct.  25-Nov.  8. 

Purple  Finch.  Oct.  21-Dec.  16. 

Song  Sparrow  Oct.  21-Nov.  2. 

Fox  Sparrow.  Apr.  3-26. 

Robin.  Nov.  3-Dec.  9. 

Bluebird.  Oct.  26-Dec.  30. 

Mar.  10-20.   Mourning  Dove.  Nov.  13-30. 

Cooper's  Hawk.  Oct.  6-15. 

Meadowlark.  Oct.  26-Dec.  7. 

Mar.  20-31.   Sharp-shinned  Hawk.  Oct.  10-29. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker.  Sept.  14-Oct.  14 

Horned  Lark.  Mar.  25. 
1  Very  rare. 


THE  SPRING  MIGRATION 


373 


Cowbird.  Nov.  6-Dec.  13. 

Rusty  Blackbird.  Apr.  16. 

Apr.  1-10.     Marsh  Hawk.  Oct.  21-Nov.  2. 

Fish  Hawk.  May  1-20. 

Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker.   Apr.  20-May  10. 

Kingfisher.  Oct.  24-Nov.  22. 

Vesper  Sparrow.  Oct.  15-21. 

Savanna  Sparrow.  Oct.  21-26. 

Chipping  Sparrow.  Sept.  28-Oct.  23. 

Field  Sparrow.  Oct.  9-26. 

Tree  Swallow.  Oct.  13-26. 

Pine  Warbler.  Apr.  16-25. 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglet.  Apr.  25-May  6. 

Hermit  Thrush.  Apr.  25-May  3. 

Apr.  10-20.    Broad-winged  Hawk.  Sept.  17-Oct.  21. 

Swamp  Sparrow.  Oct.  21-Nov.  2. 

Purple  Martin.  Sept.  12. 

Barn  Swallow.  Sept.  27-Oct.  19. 

Bank  Swallow.  Sept.  25. 

Yellow  Palm  Warbler.  Apr.  23-May  17. 

Louisiana  Water-Thrush.  August. 

Apr.  20-30.    Short-eared  Owl.  April. 

Whip-poor-will.  Sept.  21-25. 

Nighthawk.  Sept.  29-Oct.  3. 

Chimney  Swift.  Sept.  23-30. 

Kingbird.  Sept.  4-10. 

Least  Flycatcher.  Sept.  4. 

White-throated  Sparrow.  May  7-21. 

Chewink.  Oct.  5-24. 

Red-eyed  Vireo.  Sept.  10-Oct.  8. 

Warbling  Vireo.  Sept.  4-17. 

Yellow-throated  Vireo.  Sept.  10-21. 

Blue-headed  Vireo.  May  5-9. 

Black  and  White  Warbler.     Sept.  25-Oct.  4. 

Myrtle  Warbler.  May  4-19. 


374 


THE  SPRING  MIGRATION 


Black-throated  Green 

Warbler.  Sept.  29-Oct.  21. 

Titlark.  May  1-15. 

Brown  Thrasher.  Oct.  5-20. 

House  Wren.  Sept.  26-Oct.  15. 

May  1-10.     Pigeon  Hawk.  May  4-9. 

Yellow-billed  Cuckoo.  Sept.  13-Oct.  17. 

Black-billed  Cuckoo.  Sept.  4. 

Hummingbird.  Sept.  17. 

Crested  Flycatcher.  Aug.-Sept. 

Wood  Pewee.  Sept.  21-Oct.  3. 

Bobolink.  Oct.  3-15. 

Baltimore  Oriole.  Sept.  8. 

Orchard  Oriole.  August. 

Grasshopper  Sparrow.  Oct.  20. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  Sept.  1-28. 

Indigo-bird.  Oct.  4-16. 

Scarlet  Tanager.  Sept.  24-Oct.  7. 

White-eyed  Vireo.  Sept.  15-20. 

Worm-eating  Warbler.  August. 

Blue-winged  Warbler.  August. 

Golden-winged  Warbler  August. 

Nashville  Warbler.  Sept.  27. 

Parula  Warbler.  Sept.  26-Oct.  6. 

Yellow  Warbler.  Sept.  14-23. 
Black-throated  Blue  Warbler.  May  12-26. 
Black  and  Yellow  Warbler.  May  16-26. 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler.  Sept.  5. 

Black-poll  Warbler.  May  25-June  3. 

Blackburnian  Warbler.  May  13-30. 

Prairie  Warbler.  Sept.  21. 

Oven-bird.  Sept.  10-26. 

Water-Thrush.  May  18-27. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat.  Oct.  6-16. 

Yellow-breasted  Chat.  August. 

Redstart.  Sept.  11-26. 


THE  SPRING  MIGRATION 


375 


Catbird.  Oct.  6-14. 

Wood  Thrush.  Sept.  18. 

Wilson's  Thrush.  Aug.-Sept. 

May  10-20.  White-crowned  Sparrow.  May  12-22. 

Cliff  Swallow.  Aug.-Sept. 

Cape  May  Warbler.  May  13-16. 

Bay-breasted  Warbler.  May  18-27. 

Wilson's  Warbler.  May  22-30. 

Canadian  Warbler.  May  21-30. 

Gray-cheeked  Thrush.  May  11-27. 

Olive-backed  Thrush.  May  17-29. 
May  20-30.  Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher.  May  20-25. 

Mourning  Warbler.  May  26. 


376 


WINTER  BIRDS 


WINTER   BIRDS 

Every  one  knows  that  the  country  is  full  of  birds  during 
the  migrations  ;  but  we  do  not  all  realize  how  many  birds 
are  to  be  seen  in  winter. 

The  following  lists  from  Portland,  Connecticut,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  and  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  suggest  what  we 
may  expect  to  find  in  our  own  neighborhoods. 

The  list  from  Portland  has  been  kindly  supplied  by  Mr. 
John  H.  Sage  ;  that  from  Washington,  by  Mr.  William 
Palmer  ;  and  that  from  St.  Louis,  by  Mr.  Otto  Widmann.1 

Birds  that  may  be  seen  about  Portland,  Conn.,  in  Winter. 


RESIDENTS. 

Bob- white. 

Ruffed  Grouse. 

Mourning  Dove.2 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

Red-tailed  Hawk. 

Red-shouldered  Hawk. 

Sparrow  Hawk. 

Barred  Owl. 

Screech  Owl. 

Great  Horned  Owl. 

Belted  Kingfisher.2 

Hairy  Woodpecker. 

Downy  Woodpecker. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker. 

Flicker. 

Blue  Jay. 

Crow. 

Meadowlark. 

Purple  Finch. 


WINTER  VISITANTS. 

Goshawk. 

Rough-legged  Hawk.2 

Pigeon  Hawk.2 

Long-eared  Owl. 

Acadian  Owl. 

Snowy  Owl.2 

Pine  Grosbeak. 

American  Crossbill. 

White-winged  Crossbill.2 

Redpoll. 

Pine  Finch. 

Snowflake. 

Lapland  Longspur.2 

White-throated  Sparrow. 

Tree  Sparrow. 

Junco. 

Butcherbird. 

Yellow-rumped  Warbler.2 

Winter  Wren. 


1  These  lists  include  only  land  birds. 


Very  rare. 


WINTER   BIRDS 


377 


Goldfinch. 

Field  Sparrow.1 

Song  Sparrow. 

Waxwing. 

White-breasted  Nuthatch. 

Chickadee. 

Robin. 

Bluebird. 


Brown  Creeper. 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 
Golden-crowned  Kinglet. 
Hermit  Thrush.1 


Very  rare. 


Birds  that  may  be  seen  about  Washington  in  Winter. 

RESIDENTS.  WINTER  VISITANTS. 

Of  ordinary  occurrence  and  abundance. 


Bob- white. 

Turkey  Vulture. 

Red-tailed  Hawk. 

Red-shouldered  Hawk. 

Screech  Owl. 

Downy  Woodpecker. 

Flicker.1 

PtKBbe.1 

Blue  Jay.1 

Crow. 

Fish  Crow. 

Meadowlark.1 

Goldfinch.1 

Song  Sparrow. 

Cardinal. 

Waxwing.2 

Carolina  Wren. 

White-breasted  Nuthatch. 

Tufted  Titmouse. 

Carolina  Chickadee. 

Robin.1 

Bluebird. 

1  Most  abundant  in  migrations. 

2  Most  abundant  in  summer. 

3  Of  erratic  occurrence. 


Marsh  Hawk. 
Pigeon  Hawk. 
Short-eared  Owl. 
Horned  Lark. 
Prairie  Horned  Lark. 
Purple  Finch.1 
American  Crossbill.3 
Pine  Finch.8 

White-throated  Sparrow. 
Tree  Sparrow. 
Junco. 

Fox  Sparrow. 
Loggerhead  Shrike. 
Pipit.1 

Winter  Wren. 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 
Golden-crowned  Kinglet. 
Hermit  Thrush.1 


378 


WINTER  BIRDS 


Not  of  ordinary  occurrence  or  abundance. 


Goshawk.3 

American  Rough  Leg.3 

Acadian  Owl. 

Snowy  Owl.4 

Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker.1 

Pine  Grosbeak.4 

White-winged  Crossbill.4 

Redpoll.3 

Snowflake.3 

Savanna  Sparrow.1 

Swamp  Sparrow.1 

Butcherbird.3 

Yellow-rumped  Warbler.1 

Brown  Creeper.1 

Chickadee.4 

Ruby  Kinglet.1 


Ruffed  Grouse. 

Mourning  Dove. 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk.1 

Cooper's  Hawk.1 

Broad-winged  Hawk.1 

Golden  Eagle.3 

Bald  Eagle. 

Sparrow  Hawk.1 

Barn  Owl. 

Long-eared  Owl. 

Barred  Owl. 

Great  Horned  Owl. 

Kingfisher.1 

Hairy  Woodpecker. 

Pileated  Woodpecker.3 

Red-headed  Woodpecker.2 

Red-bellied  Woodpecker. 

Cowbird.4 

Red-winged  Blackbird.4 

Vesper  Sparrow.1 

Field  Sparrow.1 

Chewink.2 

Mockingbird.3 

Birds  that  may  be  seen  in  Winter  in  St.  Louis  and 
St.  Charles  Counties,  Missouri. 

Generally  distributed. 

Bob-white.  Junco. 

Downy  Woodpecker.  Cardinal. 

Blue  Jay.  Carolina  Wrren. 

Crow.    "  .       White-breasted  Nuthatch. 

Tree  Sparrow.  Tufted  Titmouse. 

Chickadee. 
Carolina  Chickadee. 


1  Most  abundant  in  migrations. 

2  Most  abundant  in  summer. 


Very  rare. 

Of  erratic  occurrence. 


WINTER  BIRDS 


379 


Locally  distributed.1 


Mourning  Dove. 

Marsh  Hawk. 

Red-tailed  Hawk. 

Red-shouldered  Hawk. 

America*!  Rough-legged  Hawk. 

Golden  Eagle.2 

Bald  Eagle. 

Sparrow  Hawk. 

Long-eared  Owl. 

Short-eared  Owl. 

Barred  Owl. 

Screech  Owl. 

Great  Horned  Owl. 

Hairy  Woodpecker. 

Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker. 

Red-bellied  Woodpecker. 

Flicker. 

Prairie  Horned  Lark. 

Cowbird. 

Red-winged  Blackbird. 

Meadowlark. 

Rusty  Blackbird. 

Crow  Blackbird. 

Purple  Finch. 

Redpoll.* 

Goldfinch. 


1  The  majority  are  found  in  the  heavily-timbered  bottom-lands  along  the 
large  rivers. 

2  Very  rare. 

3  Of  uncertain  occurrence. 


Lapland  Longspur. 
Leconte's  Sparrow.3 
White-crowned  Sparrow. 
White-throated  Sparrow. 
Song  Sparrow. 
Swamp  Sparrow. 
Fox  Sparrow. 
Che  wink. 
Waxwing. 
Butcherbird.3 
Loggerhead  Shrike. 
Yellow-rumped  Warbler. 
Mockingbird.3 
Bewick's  Wren.3 
Brown  Creeper.3 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch.3 
Golden-crowned  Kinglet.3 
Ruby  Kinglet.3 
Robin. 
Bluebird. 


380  OBSERVATION   OUTLINE 


OUTLINE   FOR  FIELD   OBSERVATIONS 

OBSERVATION  OUTLINE.  —  In  studying  birds  in  the  nest- 
ing season,  there  are  many  points  to  keep  in  mind  —  in 
fact,  all  the  questions  involved  in  the  life-histories' of  birds. 
Observations  here,  if  made  with  conscientious  accuracy,  are 
especially  valuable,  as  few  birds  have  ever  been  studied 
exhaustively  in  the  field.  The  following  hints  may  prove 
suggestive  to  the  student  who  is  beginning  field-work  :  — 

Points  to  note  to  assist  in  identification. 

I.  Size  (compared  with  Robin,  Fig.  5,  p.  17). 

II.  Colors. 

Bright  (exs.  Oriole,  Fig.  25,  p.  56  ;  Cardinal,  Fig.  28, 

p.  65). 
Dull  (ex.  Sparrow,  Fig.  58,  p.  117). 

III.  Markings. 

Top   of    head    (ex.    White-crowned    Sparrow,   Fig.    93, 

p.  176). 

Back  (ex.  Red-headed  Woodpecker,  Fig.  67,  p.  131). 
Breast  (ex.  Meadowlark,  Fig.  45,  p.  106). 
Wings  (ex.  Nighthawk,  Fig.  99,  p.  189). 
Tail  (ex.  Kingbird,  Fig.  35,  p.  83). 

IV.  Shape. 

1.  BODY. 

Long  and  slender  (ex.  Cuckoo,  Fig.  83,  p.  161). 
Short  and  stocky  (ex.  Bobolink,  Plate  VII.  p.  104). 

2.  BILL. 

Short  and  stout  for  cracking  seeds  (ex.  Sparrow,  Fig. 

119,  p.  193). 
Long  and  slender  for  holding  worms  (ex.  Oriole,  Fig. 

112,  p.  192). 
Long  and  heavy  for  drilling  holes  in  trees  or  holding 

fish  (exs.  Woodpecker,  Fig.  108,  p.  192  ;  Kingfisher, 

Fig.  114,  p.  192). 


OBSERVATION  OUTLINE  381 

Slender  and  delicate  for  probing  flower  tubes  (ex. 
Hummingbird,  Fig.  118,  p.  193). 

Short,  with  wide  gape  for  taking  insects  (exs.  Swal- 
lows, Fig.  120,  p.  193  ;  Goatsuckers,  Fig.  113, 
p.  192). 

Hooked  for  tearing  prey  (exs.  Hawks,  Fig.  200,  p.  350  ; 
Owls,  Fig.  199,  p.  350). 

Crossed  for  extracting  seeds  from  cones  (ex.  Crossbill, 
Fig.  116,  p.  193). 

Curved  for  getting  insects  from  tree  trunks  (ex.  Brown 
Creeper,  Fig.  196,  p.  350). 

3.  WING. 

Short  and  round  for  short  flights  (exs.  Ruffed  Grouse 

and  Wren,  Fig.  18,  p.  45). 
Long  and  slender  for  sustained  flight  (exs.  Swift,  Fig. 

19,  p.  45  ;  Swallow,  Fig.  102,  p.  190). 

4.  TAIL. 

Square  (ex.  White-eyed  Vireo,  Fig.  208,  p.  352). 
Notched  (ex.  Pine  Finch,  Fig.  209,  p.  352). 
Fan-shaped  (ex.  Ruffed  Grouse,  Fig.  216,  p.  353). 
Graduated  (ex.  Mourning  Dove,  Fig.  12,  p.  30). 
Pointed  for  bracing    (exs.  Brown  Creeper,  Fig.  212, 

p.  353;  Woodpecker,  Fig.  213,  p.  353). 
Long  and  forked  for  steering  (exs.  Barn  Swallow,  Fig. 

210,  p.  352  ;  Swallow-tailed  Kite,  Fig.  215,  p.  353). 
Short  and  tipped  with  spines  for  bracing  (ex.  Chimney 

Swift,  Fig.  214,  p.  353). 

5.  FOOT. 

Weak  (exs.  Kingfisher,  Fig.  81,  p.  158  ;  Swallow,  Fig. 

20,  p.  50). 

Used  only  for  perching  and  clinging  to  walls  (ex. 

Chimney  Swift,  Fig.  7,  p.  25). 
Middle   toe   greatly   elongated    (ex.    Nighthawk, 

Fig.  104,  p.  191). 
Strong. 

Used  for  walking  (exs.  Crow  Blackbird,  Fig.  48, 


382  OBSERVATION  OUTLINE 

p.  109  ;  Pipit,  Fig.  205,  p.  351  ;  Turkey  Vul- 
ture, Fig.  206,  p.  351). 

Used  for  climbing  (exs.  Woodpeckers,  Fig.  202, 
p.  351  ;  Brown  Creeper,  Fig.  201,  p.  351). 

Used  for  holding  and  tearing  prey  (ex.  Hawks, 
Fig.  207,  p.  351). 

V.  Appearance. 
Wings  and  tail  drooping. 

Crest  raised,  wings  close  at  sides. 

VI.  Movements. 

Hop  (ex.  Sparrow) ;  walk  (ex.  Blackbird). 

Creep  up  trees  (ex.  Brown  Creeper). 

Bob  head  and  wag  tail  (exs.  Water-Thrushes  and  Pipits). 

Twitch  tail  from  side  to  side  (ex.  Indigo-bird). 

VII.  Flight. 

1.  FAST. 

Direct  (ex.  Robin). 

Abrupt  and  zigzag  (ex.  Chimney  Swift). 

Smooth  and  circling  (ex.  Swallows). 

2.  SLOW. 

Flapping  (exs.  Crow  and  Heron). 

Sailing  or  soaring  (exs.  Red-tailed  Hawk  and  Turkey 

Buzzard). 
Flapping  and  sailing  alternately. 

Oblique  flight  (ex.  Meadowlark). 

Undulating  flight  (ex.  Goldfinch). 

Points  to  note  to  add  to  knowledge  of  life  histories. 

I.  Localities  frequented. 

Gardens  and  orchards  (exs.  Hummingbird  and  Catbird). 

Roadside  fences  (exs.  Kingbird  and  Vesper  Sparrow). 

Meadows  (exs.  Bobolink  and  Meadowlark). 

Thickets  (exs.  Brown  Thrasher  and  Chat). 

Woods  (exs.  Hermit  Thrush  and  Oven-bird). 

Rivers  and  lakes  (ex.  Kingfisher). 

Marshes  (exs.  Heron  and  Marsh  Wren). 


OBSERVATION   OUTLINE  383 

II.  Food. 

1.  KINDS  OF  FOOD. 

Weed  seeds  (exs.  Finches  and  Sparrows). 

Flies,  mosquitoes,  etc.  (exs.  Swallows  and  Goatsuck- 

ers). 

Ants  (ex.  Flicker). 

Caterpillars  (exs.  Cuckoos  and  Cedar-bird). 
Elm  leaf -beetles  and  cankerworms  (ex.  Cedar-bird). 
Eggs    and    larvae   of    cankerworms  (exs.  Chickadees, 

Woodpeckers,  and  Creepers). 
Grasshoppers    and    crickets    (exs.    Meadowlark    and 

Crow). 
Mice  and  rats,  etc.  (exs.  Hawks  and  Owls). 

2.  MANNER  OF  OBTAINING  FOOD. 

Lie  in  wait  for  prey  (exs.  Flycatchers  and  Hawks). 
Fall  on  prey  without  warning. 
Give  call  of  warning. 

Take  food  on  wing  (exs.  Swallows,  Swifts,  Goatsuck- 
ers). 

III.  Song  (by  male  only,  or  by  female  also). 

1.  MANNER  AND  TIME  OF  SINGING. 
From  a  perch  (ex.  Song  Sparrow). 
In  the  air  (ex.  Bobolink). 

In  the  night  (ex.  Mockingbird). 
Time  of  joining  daybreak  chorus. 

2.  CHARACTER  OF  SONG. 

Plaintive  (exs.  Wood  Pewee  and  Meadowlark). 
Happy  (ex.  Bobolink). 
Long  (exs.  Mockingbird  and  Catbird). 
Short  (exs.  Bluebird  and  Chickadee). 

3.  VARIETY  OF  CALL  NOTES. 

IV.  Habits. 

1.  USE  WINGS  IN  SPECIAL  WAYS. 
As  weapons  (ex.  Doves). 

As  musical  instruments  (ex.  Ruffed  Grouse). 

2.  Go  IN  FLOCKS  (exs.  Waxwings  and  Blackbirds). 


384  OBSERVATION   OUTLINE 

3.  FORM  ROOSTS  (dates,  number  of  birds  in  roost,  dis- 

tance birds  go  to  roost). 
Winter  roosts  (ex.  Crow). 
Summer  roosts  (ex.  Robin). 
Migration  roosts  (ex.  Swallows). 

4.  PERFORM  CURIOUS  ACTIONS. 
Dances  (ex.  Prairie  Hen). 
Aerial  evolutions  (ex.  Nighthawk). 

V.  Nest  (in  colonies,  ex.  Swallows  —  or  alone,  ex. 
Thrushes). 

1.  LOCATION  OF  NEST. 

In  or  on  the  ground  (exs.  Bank  Swallows  and  Oven- 
bird). 

In  tree-trunks  (ex.  Woodpeckers). 

On  branches. 
In  crotch. 

On  horizontal  limb  (ex.  Robin). 
Pendent  from  branch  (exs.  Orioles  and  Vireos). 

2.  SIZE  OF  NEST  (exs.  Hummingbird,  Robin,  and  Crow). 

3.  FORM  OF  NEST. 
Cup-shaped  (ex.  Robin). 
Pocket-shaped  (ex.  Oriole). 
Basket-shaped  (ex.  Vireo). 
Wall-pocket-shaped  (ex.  Swift). 
Dome-shaped  (ex.  Oven-bird). 
Retort-shaped  (ex.  Cliff  Swallow). 

4.  MATERIALS  OF  NEST. 
Clay  (ex.  Eave  Swallow). 

Vegetable  fibres,  grasses,  rootlets,  leaves,  twigs  (ex. 

Sparrows). 

Hair  (ex.  Hairbird,  or  Chipping  Sparrow). 
Fur  or  feathers  (ex.  Chickadee). 

5.  LENGTH  OF  TIME  NEST  is  USED. 
Abandoned  after  first  brood  (ex.  Vireos). 
Used  for  successive  years  (ex.  Fish  Hawk). 


OBSERVATION   OUTLINE  385 

VI.  Bunding. 

1.  METHOD  OF  CONSTRUCTION. 

Excavating  (exs.  Woodpeckers  and  Kingfisher). 
Weaving  (ex.  Oriole). 
Plastering  (ex.  Swallow). 

2.  NUMBER  OF  DAYS  REQUIRED. 

3.  HABITS  OF  MALE  DURING  NEST-BUILDING. 
Works  with  female. 

Works  alone. 
Sings  while  female  works. 
Brings  material  to  female. 
Absents  himself  from  nest. 

VII.  Eggs. 
Number. 
Color. 
Markings. 

VIII.  Incubation. 

Interval   between  completion  of  nest  and  beginning  of 

sitting. 

Length  of  incubation. 
Habits  of  male  during  time. 

Takes  place  of  female  on  nest. 

Feeds  female  on  nest. 

IX.  Young. 

1.  CONDITION  AT  HATCHING. 
Feathered  (ex.  Quail). 
Naked  (exs.  Robin  and  Oriole). 

2.  CONDITIONS  DURING  GROWTH. 
Position  of  feather  tracts. 
Daily  increase  in  weight. 
Respiration. 

Heart  beats. 

Time  when  eyes  open. 

Time  spent  in  nest. 

3.  CONDITION  ON  LEAVING  NEST, 


386  OBSERVATION   OUTLINE 

4.  CARED  FOR  BY  PARENTS. 
Fed  in  nest. 

Food  brought  in  bill  (ex.  Sparrows). 

Food  regurgitated  (ex.  Hummingbird). 

Rapidity  in  feeding,  and  interval  between  meals. 
Care  of  young  shared  by  male  and  female. 
All  the  young  kept  together  on  leaving  nest,  or  family 

separated,  each  parent  feeding  its  squad. 
Young  taught  to  sing. 
Notes  and  actions  of  young. 
Nestling  plumage. 
X.  Problems. 

1.  COLOR  AND  MARKINGS. 

Protective  coloration  (exs.  Sparrows  and  Vireos). 

Gradation   of   tints   to  counteract  light  and  shade 
(ex.  Grouse). 

Markings  to  disguise  form  (exs.  Whip-poor-will  and 

Junco). 

Sexual  coloration  (exs.  Oriole  and  Scarlet  Tauager). 
Relation  of  color  to  food. 
Manner  of  seasonal  change  in  plumage. 

Moulting. 

Wearing  off  of  edge  of  feathers. 

Change  in  color  of  feather. 
Recognition  marks  (exs.  Junco  and  Chewmk). 
Color  of  eggs. 

2.  INDIVIDUAL  VARIATION. 
In  song. 

In  habits. 

3.  INTELLIGENCE,  AS  SHOWN  BY 
Caution. 

Curiosity. 

Action  towards  enemies. 

Change  of  habits  as  result  of  danger. 

Building. 

Choice  of  sites. 


OBSERVATION   OUTLINE  387 

Choice  of  materials. 

Workmanship. 

Shape,  color,  and  position  to  protect  from  enemies. 
Knowledge  of  number  and  color  of  eggs. 
Actions  toward  Cowbird's  eggs. 
Protection  of  young. 
Discipline  of  young. 
Food  obtained  by  work  of  other  birds  (ex.  Fish  Hawk 

and  Eagle). 

4.  EMOTION  EXPRESSED  BY 
Use  of  crest,  wings,  tail. 
Attitudes. 
Movements. 

Voice. 

5.  RANGE  OF  COMMUNICATION. 
Calls  of  signal  and  warning. 
Cries  of  anger,  fear,  pain,  protest. 
Songs  of  happiness  and  love. 
Display  of  recognition  marks,, 


388      OBSERVING  IN   TOWNS  AND    VILLAGES 


OBSERVING  IN  TOWNS   AND   VILLAGES 

In  studying  birds  closely  in  the  field,  their  confidence 
must  be  won,  but  in  villages  and  towns  they  are  used  to' 
the  presence  of  man,  and  being  less  afraid  of  observers 
may  be  watched  to  peculiar  advantage.  That  a  great 
variety  of  birds  nest  in  our  midst  for  us  to  study  is  shown 
by  the  following  list  from  a  typical  New  England  town. 


BIRDS   KNOWN   TO  NEST   IN 

Bob- white. 

Ruffed  Grouse. 

Mourning  Dove. 

Marsh  Hawk. 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

Cooper's  Hawk. 

Red-tailed  Hawk. 

Red-shouldered  Hawk. 

Broad-winged  Hawk. 

Sparrow  Hawk. 

Barred  Owl. 

Screech  Owl. 

Great  Horned  Owl. 

Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 

Black-billed  Cuckoo. 

Kingfisher. 

Hairy  Woodpecker. 

Downy  Woodpecker. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker. 

Flicker. 

Whip-poor-will. 

Nighthawk. 

Swift. 

Hummingbird. 

Kingbird. 


PORTLAND,    CONNECTICUT. 

Great-crested  Flycatcher. 

Phcebe. 

Wood  Pewee. 

Least  Flycatcher. 

Blue  Jay. 

Crow. 

Bobolink. 

Cowbird. 

Red-winged  Blackbird. 

Meadowlark. 

Orchard  Oriole. 

Baltimore  Oriole. 

Crow  Blackbird. 

Purple  Finch. 

Goldfinch. 

Vesper  Sparrow. 

Savanna  Sparrow. 

Grasshopper  Sparrow. 

Chipping  Sparrow. 

Field  Sparrow. 

Song  Sparrow. 

Swamp  Sparrow. 

Che  wink. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 

Indigo  Bunting. 


OBSERVING  IN   TOWNS  AND   VILLAGES     389 


Scarlet  Tanager. 
Purple  Martin. 
Cliff  Swallow. 
Barn  Swallow. 
Tree  Swallow. 
Bank  Swallow. 
Rough-winged  Swallow. 
Waxwirig. 
Red-eyed  Vireo. 
Warbling  Vireo. 
Yellow-throated  Vireo. 
White-eyed  Vireo. 
Black  and  White  Creeper. 
Worm-eating  Warbler. 
Blue-winged  Warbler. 
Golden-winged  Warbler. 
Nashville  Warbler. 
Parula  Warbler. 
Yellow  Warbler. 


Chestnut-sided  Warbler. 
Black-throated    Green 

Warbler. 
Prairie  Warbler. 
Oven-bird. 

Louisiana  Water-Thrush. 
Maryland  Yellow-throat. 
Yellow-breasted  Chat. 
Redstart. 
Catbird. 
Thrasher. 
House  Wren. 
Long-billed  Marsh  Wren. 
White-breasted  Nuthatch. 
Chickadee. 
Wood  Thrush. 
Veery  Thrush. 
Robin. 
Bluebird. 


390  BOOKS   OF  EEFEEENCE 


BOOKS   OF  REFERENCE 

For  current  Government  publications  apply  to  Superin- 
tendent of  Documents,  Washington,  D.  C.  For  second- 
hand books,  separates,  and  books  that  are  out  of  print,  look 
in  second-hand  bookstores. 

KEYS  FOR  IDENTIFICATION. 
Chapman,  Frank  M.     Handbook  of  Birds  of  Eastern  North 

America.     D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York.     $3.    Pocket 

edition.     $3.50. 
Coues,  Elliott.     Key  to  North  American  Birds.     Estes  & 

Lauriat,  Boston.     $7.50. 
Ridgway,    Robert.      Manual   of    North   American   Birds. 

J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  Philadelphia.     $7.50. 

STANDARD  WORKS  OF  REFERENCE. 
A.  O.  U.      Check-List  of  North  American  Birds  (1895). 1 

$2.     Abridged  edition.     25  cents. 
Audubon,  John  James.    Birds  of  America  ; 2  Ornithological 

Biography.2 
Baird,  S.  F.,  Brewer,  T.  M.,  and  Ridgway,  R.     A  History 

of    North   American   Birds ;    Land   and   Water   Birds. 

5  vols.     Little,  Brown  &  Co.,  Boston.     $54. 
Bendire,  Charles  E.     Life  Histories  of  North  American 

Birds.     Smithsonian  Institution.     2  vols.     $15. 
Coues,    Elliott.     Birds   of  the    Colorado  Valley.2     $2.50. 

Birds  of  the  Northwest.2     $2.50. 
Nehrling,  Henry.     Our  Native  Birds  of  Song  and  Beauty. 

George  Brumder,  Milwaukee.     2  vols.     Unbound,  $16 ; 

bound,  $18-$22. 
Newton,  Alfred.     Dictionary  of  Birds.     Macmillan,  New 

York.     $7.50. 

1  For  sale  by  L.  S.  Foster,  33  Pine  Street,  New  York. 

2  Out  of  print. 


BOOKS   OF  EEFERENCE  391 

Nuttall,  Thomas.  A  Manual  of  the  Ornithology  of  the 
United  States  and  of  Canada.2  Chamberlain's  Edition, 
A  Popular  Handbook  of  the  Ornithology  of  Eastern 
North  America.  Little,  Brown  &  Co.  2  vols.  $8. 

Ridgway,  Robert.  Nomenclature  of  Colors.  Little,  Brown 
&  Co.,  Boston.  $4. 

Trumbull,  Gurdon.  Names  and  Portraits  of  Birds.  Har- 
per &  Brothers,  New  York.  $2.50. 

Wilson,  Alexander.     American  Ornithology.2 

PUBLICATIONS  ON  SPECIAL  SUBJECTS. 

FOOD    OF   BIRDS. 

Publications  of  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Agriculture 
(Maiden,  Mass.)  :  Birds  as  Protectors  of  Orchards,  For- 
bush,  E.  H.,  Mass.  Crop  Rept.  for  July,  1895,  pp.  20-32. 
Birds  which  feed  on  the  Gypsy  Moth,  Forbush,  E.  H., 
Rept.  Gypsy  Moth,  pp.  20-243.  Crow  in  Massachusetts, 
Mass.  Crop  Rept.  for  Aug.  1896,  pp.  24-40. 

Publications  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  :  Crow 
Blackbirds  and  their  Food,  Beal,  F.  E.  L.  Food  of 
Woodpeckers,  Beal,  F.  E.  L.  Four  Common  Birds  of 
the  Farm  and  Garden,  Judd,  S.  D.  Hawks  and  Owls 
(Bulletin,  No.  3),2  Fisher,  A.  K.  Hawks  and  Owls  from 
the  Standpoint  of  the  Farmer,  Fisher,  A.  K.  Some 
Common  Birds  in  their  Relation  to  Agriculture,  Farmer's 
Bulletin,  No.  54,  Beal,  F.  E.  L.  The  Common  Crow  of 
the  United  States,  Barrows,  W.  B.,  and  Schwarz,  E.  A. 
The  English  Sparrow  in  America,  Merriam,  C.  H.,  and 
Barrows,  W.  B.  The  Meadowlark  and  Baltimore  Oriole, 
Beal,  F.  E.  L.  The  Blue  Jay  arid  its  Food,  Beal,  F.  E.  L. 

MIGRATION    OF   BIRDS. 

Bird  Migration.     Brewster,  William.     S0.50.1 
Bird  Migration  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.     Cooke,  W.  W. 
Dept.  of  Agric.2 

1  For  sale  by  L.  S.  Foster,  33  Pine  Street,  New  York. 

s  Out  of  print. 


392  BOOKS   OF  REFERENCE 

LOCAL  LISTS. 

Birds  of  Connecticut.     Merriam,  C.  Hart.1 
Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey.     Stone, 

Witmer.     $1. 
Birds  of  Hudson  Highlands.     Mearns,  E.  A.     Bull.  Essex 

(Mass.)  Inst.  vols.  x.-xiii. 
Birds   of  Illinois.      Ridgway,  Robert.      H.  W.  Rokker, 

Springfield,  Illinois. 
Birds  of  Kansas.     Goss,  B.  F.     Geo.  W.  Crane  &  Co.,  To- 

peka,  Kansas.     $5. 
Birds  of  Manitoba.    Thompson,  E.  E.    Proceedings  National 

Museum  (1890). 
Birds  of  Minnesota.     Hatch,  P.  L.     Geological  Survey  of 

Minnesota,  1892. 
Birds  of  Ohio.     Wheaton,  J.  M.      Geological  Survey  of 

Ohio.1 

Birds  of  Ontario.     Mcllwraith,  Thomas.     $2. 
Birds  of  Pennsylvania.     Warren,  B.  H.      State  Board  of 

Agriculture.1     $5. 
Birds  of  the  Virginias.    Rives,  W.  C.    The  Newport  (R.  I.) 

Nat.  Hist.  Soc.  (1890).     $0.60. 

List  of  Birds  ascertained  to  inhabit  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia :  Coues,  Elliott,  and  Prentiss,  D.  W.2  Bull.  26,  U.  S. 

Natl.  Mus.  (1883).     $0.75. 
List  of  Birds  known  to  occur  within  Fifty  Miles  of  New 

York  City.     Chapman,  Frank  M.     $0.15.2 

SONGS    OF    BIRDS. 

A  Study  of  the  Singing  of  our  Birds.  Bickuell,  E.  P.  Es- 
tes  &  Lauriat,  Boston.  (The  Auk,  1884,  1885. 2) 

The  Evolution  of  Bird-Song.  Witchell,  C.  A.,  Adam  & 
Charles  Black,  London. 

Wood  Notes  Wild.  Cheney,  S.  P.  Lee  &  Shepard,  Bos- 
ton. $2. 

1  Out  of  print. 

2  For  sale  by  L.  S.  Foster,  33  Pine  Street,  New  York. 


BOOKS   OF  REFERENCE  393 

POPULAR   BIRD  BOOKS. 
Baskett,  J.  N.     The  Story  of  the  Birds.     D.  Appleton  & 

Co.,  New  York.     $0.65. 
Bolles,  Frank.     Land  of  the  Lingering  Snow  ;  From  Blomi- 

don   to    Smoky  ;    At    the    North   of    Bearcamp    Water. 

Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston.     $1.25  each. 
Burroughs,  John.     Wake  Robin  ;  Fresh  Fields  ;  Birds  and 

Poets  ;    Locusts  and  Wild  Honey  ;    Pepacton  ;    Winter 

Sunshine  ;    Signs   and    Seasons  ;    Riverby.      Houghton, 

Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston.     $1.25  each. 
Chamberlain,    Montague.       Some    Canadian   Birds.      The 

Copp,  Clarke  Company,  Toronto.     $0.30. 
Chapman,  Frank  M.    Bird-Life.    D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New 

York.     $1.75.     Edition  in  colors,  $5. 
Davis,  William  T.     Days  Afield  on  Staten  Island. 
Flagg,  Wilson.     A  Year  with  the  Birds.     Educational  Pub- 
lishing Company,  Boston.     $1.00.     Birds  and  Seasons  of 

New  England. 
Merriam,   Florence    A.      Birds  through  an   Opera  -  Glass. 

$0.75.      A-Birding    on    a    Bronco,    $1.25.       Houghton, 

Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston. 
Miller,  Olive   Thorne.      Bird- Ways  ;    In   Nesting   Time  ; 

Little  Brothers  of  the  Air  ;  A  Bird-Lover  in  the  West  ; 

Upon  the  Tree-Tops.     Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston. 

$1.25  each. 
Minot,  Henry  D.     Land  and  Game  Birds  of  New  England. 

(Brewster's  Edition.)     Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston. 

$3.50. 
Robinson,  Rowland  E.    In  New  England  Fields  and  Woods. 

Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston.     $1.25. 
Parkhurst,  H.  E.    The  Birds' Calendar.    $1.50.    Song  Birds 

and  Waterfowl.     $1.50.     Scribner,  New  York. 
Thompson,   Maurice.      John   B.   Alden.      Sylvan    Secrets, 

$0.60.     By- Ways  and  Bird  Notes,  $0.75.     Songs  of  Fair 

Weather. 


394  BOOKS  OF  EEFEEENCE 

Torrey,   Bradford.       Birds    in*  the   Bush  ;    A   Rambler's 

Lease  ;  The  Foot-Path  Way  ;  A  Florida  Sketch-Book  ; 

Spring  Notes  in  Tennessee.     Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co., 

Boston.     $1.25  each. 
Van  Dyke,  T.  S.     Game  Birds  at  Home.     Fords,  Howard 

&  Hulbert,  New  York.     $1.50. 
Wilcox,  M.  A.     Land  Birds  of  New  England.      Lee  & 

Shepard,  Boston.     $0.65. 
Wright,  Mabel  Osgood.    Birdcraft.    $2.50.    Tommy-Anne. 

$1.50.     Macmillan  Company. 
Wright,  Mabel  Osgood,  and  Dr.  Elliott  Coues.     Citizen 

Bird.     Macmillan  Company.     $1.50. 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Acadian  Flycatcher,  Fig.  110,  p.  192. 

Bald  Eagle,  Plate  XIX,  p.  282. 
Baltimore  Oriole,  Fig.  25,  p.  56 ;  Fig. 

112,  p.  192. 

Bank  Swallow,  Fig.  24,  p.  55. 
Barn  Owl,  Plate  XXVI,  p.  294. 
Barn  Swallow,  Plate  IV,  p.  50  ;  Fig. 

47,  p.  109 ;  Fig.  102,  p.  190. 
Barred  Owl,  Plate  XXIV,  p.  290. 
Bills  of 

Blackbird  (Crow),  Fig.  121,  p.  193. 
Blue  Jay,  Fig.  135,  p.  218. 
Bobolink,  Fig.  50,  p.  110. 
Brown  Creeper,  Fig.  19G,  p.  350. 
Chickadee,  Fig.  115,  p.  193. 
Cowbird,  Fig.  42,  p.  102. 
Crossbill,  Fig.  116,  p.  193. 
Crow,  Fig.  136,  p.  218. 
Dove  (Mourning),  Fig.  106,  p.  192. 
Flycatchers  (Acadian),  Fig.  110,  p. 

192. 

(Wood  Pewee),  Fig.  107,  p.  192. 
Goatsucker  (Nighthawk),  Fig.  113, 

p.  192. 

Grosbeak  (Pine),  Fig.  117,  p.  193. 
Grouse  (Ruffed),  Fig.  Ill,  p.  192. 
Hawk  (Sparrow),  Fig.  200,  p.  350. 
Hummingbird,  Fig.  118,  p.  193. 
Kingfisher,  Fig.  114,  p.  192. 
Meadowlark,  Fig.  43,  p.  102. 
Oriole  (Baltimore),  Fig.  112,  p.  192. 
Owl  (Screech),  Fig.  199,  p.  350. 
Shrike  (Loggerhead),  Fig.  198,  p. 

350. 

Sparrow  (Song),  Fig.  119,  p.  193. 
Swallow  (White-bellied),  Fig.  120, 

p.  193. 

Swift  (Chimney),  Fig.  9,  p.  26. 
Tanager  (Scarlet),  Fig.  91,  p.  170. 
Vireo   (White-eyed),  Fig.   109,  p. 

192. 

Vulture  (Turkey),  Fig.  163,  p.  264. 
Woodpecker  (Hairy),  Fig.  108,  p. 

192. 

Wren  (House),  Fig.  197,  p.  350. 
Black  and  White  Creeper,  Fig.  190, 

p.  347. 

Black  and  Yellow  Warbler,  Fig.  174, 
p.  324. 


Black-billed  Cuckoo,  Fig.  86,  p.  164. 

Blackbirds,  Cowbird,  Fig.  42,  p.  102. 

Crow,  Fig.  39,  p.  93 ;  Fig.  121,  p. 

193. 
Red-wing,  Plate  VI,  p.  96  ;  Fig.  48, 

p.  109 ;  Fig.  54,  p.  112. 
Blackburnian  Warbler,  Fig.  185,  p. 

346. 

Black-poll  Warbler,  Fig.  187,  p.  346. 
Black-throated  Blue  Warbler,  Fig. 

188,  p.  347. 
Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  Fig. 

192,  p.  347. 

Bluebird,  Fig.  16,  p.  41. 
Blue  Jay,  Fig.  78,  p.  154;  Fig.  135, 

p.  218 ;  Fig.  137,  p.  220. 
Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler,  Fig. 

189,  p.  347. 

Bobolink,  Fig.  44,  p.  103  ;  Plate  VII, 

p.  104  ;  Fig.  50,  p.  110 ;  Fig.  51, 

p.  110 ;  Fig.  53,  p.  112. 
Bob-white,  Fig.  14,  p.  37. 
Brown  Creeper,  Fig.    196,   p.   350; 

Fig.  201,  p.  351 ;  Fig.  212,  p.  353. 
Brown  Thrasher,   Fig.   94,  p.   177  ; 

Fig.  126,  p.  207. 

Canada  Jay,  Plate  XII,  p.  218. 
Canadian  Warbler,  Fig.  184,  p.  346. 
Cardinal,  Fig.  155,  p.  253. 
Carolina  Wren,  Fig.  127,  p.  207. 
Catbirl,  Fig.  2,  p.  6;  Fig.   132,  p. 

207. 
Chat,  Yellow-breasted,  Fig.  175,  p. 

331. 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  Fig.  183,  p. 

346. 
Chewink,  Fig.  95,  p.  181 ;  Fig.  153, 

p.  252. 
Chickadee,  Fig.  32,  p.  74  ;  Fig.  74,  p. 

153  ;  Fig.  115,  p.  193. 
Chimney  Swift,  Plate  II,  p.  24  ;  Fig. 

7,  p.  25 ;  Fig.  9,  p.  26 ;  Fig.  19, 

p.  45 ;  Fig.  214,  p.  353. 
Chipping  Sparrow,  Fig.  55,  p.  113. 
Cliff  Swallow,  Fig.  22,  p.  52. 
Cooper's  Hawk,  Fig.  166,  p.  270. 
Cowbird,  Fig.  42,  p.  102. 
Creeper,  Black  and  White,  Fig.  190, 

p.  347. 


396 


INDEX   TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Creeper,  Brown,  Fig.  196,   p.   350 ; 

Fig.   201,  p.  351 ;  Fig.   212,   p. 

353. 

Crossbill,  Fig.  116,  p.  193. 
Crow.   Fig.   4,  p.   14;   Fig.  136,  p. 

218. 
Crow  Blackbird,  Fig.  39,  p.  93 ;  Fig. 

121,  p.  193. 
Cuckoo,  Fig.  85,  p.  163. 

Black-billed,  Fig.  86,  p.  164. 
Yellow-billed,  Fig.  83,  p.  161 :  Fig. 

87,  p.  164. 

Dickcissel,  Fig.  159,  p.  253. 

Dove,  Mourning,  Fig.  11,  p.  29;  Fig. 

12,  p.  30  ;  Fig.  106,  p.  192. 
Downy  Woodpecker,  Fig.  71,  p.  139. 

Eagle,  Bald,  Plate  XIX,  p.  282. 
Eave  Swallow,  Fig.  22,  p.  52. 

Feet  of 
Blackbird  (Red-winged),  Fig.  48, 

p.  109. 

Chimney  Swift,  Fig.  7,  p.  25. 
Creeper  (Brown),  Fig.  201,  p.  351. 
Hawk  (Fish),  Fig.  207,  p.  351. 
Kingfisher,  Fig.  82,  p.  159. 
Nighthawk,  Fig.  203,  p.  351. 
Pipit,  Fig.  205,  p.  351. 
Sparrow  (Song),  Fig.  204,  p.  351. 
Swallow  (Barn),  Fig.  47,  p.  109. 
•Vulture    (Turkey),    Fig.    206,    p. 

351. 
Woodpecker  (Hairy),  Fig.  202,  p. 

351. 
Fish  Hawk,   Plate   XVIII,  p.   280; 

Fig.  168,  p.  281. 
Flicker,  Fig.  64,  p.  127  ;  Fig.  66,  p. 

130. 

Flycatchers,  Plate  XIII,  p.  258. 
Acadian,  Fig.  110,  p.  192. 
Great-crested    Flycatcher,    Plate 

XIII,  p.  258. 
Kingbird.   Fig.   35,   p.  83  ;   Plate 

XIII,  p.  258. 
Least  Flycatcher,  Plate  V,  p.  80 ; 

Plate  XIII,  p.  258. 
Phoebe,  Fig.  37,  p.  88  ;  Plate  XIII, 

p.  258 ;  Fig.  160,  p.  260. 
Wood    Pewee,   Fig.    107,   p.   192; 

Plate  XIII,  p.  258. 
Fox  Sparrow,  Fig.  143,  p.  230. 

Gnatcatcher,  Blue-gray,  Fig.  219,  p. 

357. 
Golden-crowned  Kinglet,  Fig.  217,  p. 

356. 

Goldfinch,  Frontispiece. 
Goshawk,  Plate  XIV,  p.  266. 
Great  -  crested     Flycatcher,     Plate 

XIII,  p.  258. 


Great  Horned  Owl,  Plate  XXV,  p. 

292. 
Grouse,  Ruffed,  Fig.  13,  p.  33 ;  Plate 

III,  p.  34;  Fig.  Ill,  p.  192. 
Grosbeak,  Pine,  Fig.  117,  p.  193. 
Rose- breasted,  Fig.  89,  p.  166  ;  Fig. 

151,  p.  252. 

Hairy  Woodpecker,  Fig.  69,  p.  135; 
Fig.  108,  p.  192;  Fig.  133,  p. 
215. 

Hawks,  Cooper's,  Fig.  166,  p.  270. 
Fish,  Plate  XVIII,  p.  280. 
Goshawk,  Plate  XIV,  p.  266. 
Marsh,  Plate  XVII,  p.  278. 
Red-tailed,  Plate  XVI,  p.  272. 
Sharp-shinned,  Plate  XV,  p.  268. 
Sparrow,  Fig.  167,  p.  277. 
Hermit  Thrush,  Plate  XXVIII,  p. 

360. 

Hooded  Warbler,  Fig.  180,  p.  346. 
Horned  Lark,  Fig.  161,  p.  262. 
House  Wren,  Fig.  18,  p.  45  ;   Fig. 

130,  p.  207. 

Hummingbird,  Fig.  1,  p.  1 ;  Fig.  100, 
p.  190;  Fig.  118,  p.  193. 

Insects. 

Ant,  Fig.  65,  p.  130. 
Army  worm,  Fig.  6,  p.  20. 
Cankerworm,  Fig.  30,  p.  69. 
Click  beetle,  Fig.  26,  p.  57. 
Clover  leaf-beetle,  Fig.  41,  p.  97. 
Currant  worm,  Fig.  57,  p.  115. 
Cutworm,  Fig.  15,  p.  38. 
Grasshopper,  Fig.  3,  p.  13;   Fig. 

46,  p.  108. 

Gypsy  moth,  Fig.  88,  p.  164. 
May  beetle,  Fig.  40,  p.  95. 
Mosquito,  Fig.  23,  p.  54. 
Potato  beetle,  Fig.  90,  p.  168. 
Prionus  beetle,  Fig.  68,  p.  133. 
Rose  chafer,  Fig.  36,  p.  85. 
Sphynx  moth,  Fig.  79,  p.  155. 
Tent-caterpillar,  Fig.  84,  p.  162. 
Wood-boring  larva,  Fig.  70,  p.  139. 

Jay,  Blue,  Fig.  78,  p.  154;  Fig.  135, 

p.  218 ;  Fig.  137,  p.  220. 
Canada,  Plate  XII,  p.  218. 
Junco,  Fig.  156,  p.  253. 

Kentucky  Warbler,  Fig.  186,  p.  346. 
Kingbird,  Fie.  35,  p.  83. 
Kingfisher,  Fig.  80,  p.  157  ;  Fig.  81, 

p.  158 ;  Fig.  82,  p.  159  ;  Fig.  114, 

p.  192. 
Kinglet,  Golden-crowned,  Fig.  217, 

p.  356. 

Ruby-crowned,  Fig.  218,  p.  356. 
Kite,  Swallow-tailed,  Plate  XX,  p. 

284. 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


397 


Lark,  Horned,  Fig.  161,  p.  262. 
Lark  Sparrow,  Fig.  147,  p.  237. 
Least  Flycatcher,  Plate  V,  p.  80. 
Loggerhead  Shrike,  Fig.  169,  p.  298. 
Long-billed  Marsh  Wren,  Plate  X,  p. 

202;  Fig.  131,  p.  207. 
Long-eared  Owl,  Plate  XXII,  p.  288. 
Louisiana  Water-Thrush,  Fig.  178,  p. 

Magnolia  Warbler,  Fig.  174,  p.  324. 
Marsh  Hawk,  Plate  XVII,  p.  278. 
Maryland  Yellow-throat,  Fig.  193,  p. 

347. 
Meadowlark,  Fig.  43,   p.  102 ;   Fig.    ! 

45,  p.  106 ;  Fig.  52,  p.  112. 
Mockingbird,   Fig.   27,   p.   63;   Fig. 

128,  p.  207. 
Mourning  Dove,  Fig.  11,  p.  29 ;  Fig. 

12,  p.  30. 
Myrtle  Warbler,  Fig.  194,  p.  348. 

Nighthawk,  Fig.  97,  p.  188 ;  Fig.  99, 

p.  189  ;  Fig.  104,  p.  191 ;  Fig.  113, 

p.  192. 
Nuthatch,  Red-breasted,  Fig.  75,  p. 

153. 
White-breasted,  Fig.  32,  p.  74  ;  Fig. 

76,  p.  153. 

Oriole,   Baltimore,   Fig.   25,   p.   56; 

Fig.  112,  p.  192. 
Osprey,  Plate  XVIII,  p.  280. 
Oven-bird,  Fig.  176,  p.  333. 
Owls,  Barn,  Plate  XXVI,  p.  294. 

Barred,  Plate  XXIV,  p.  290. 

Great  Horned,  Plate  XXV,  p.  292. 

Long-eared,  Plate  XXII,  p.  288. 

Screech,  Plate  XXI,  p.  287. 

Short-eared,  Plate  XXIII,  p.  290. 

Snowy,  Plate  XXVII,  p.  294. 

Parula  Warbler,  Fig.  189,  p.  347. 

Phoebe,  Fig.  37,  p.  88. 

Pine  Finch,  Fig.  144,  p.  233. 

Pipit,  Fig.  205,  p.  351. 

Prairie  Warbler,  Fig.  181,  p.  346. 

Purple  Finch,  Plate  IX,  p.  148. 

Quail,  Fig.  14,  p.  37. 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch,  Fig.  75,  p. 

153. 
Red-eyed  Vireo,  Fig.  61,  p.  121 ;  Fig. 

173,  p.  305. 
Red-headed  Woodpecker,  Fig.  67,  p. 

131 ;  Fig.  134,  p.  216. 
Redpoll,  Fig.  157,  p.  253. 
Redstart,  Fig.  195,  p.  348. 
Red-tailed  Hawk,  Plate  XVI,  p. 

272 
Red-winged  Blackbird,  Plate  VI,  p. 


96 ;  Fig.  48,  p.  109 ;  Fig.  54,  p. 

112. 

Robin,  Fig.  5,  p.  17. 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  Fig.  89,  p. 

166  ;  Fig.  151,  p.  252. 
Rough-winged  Swallow,  Fig.  123,  p. 

195. 
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet,  Fig.  218,  p. 

356. 
Ruffed  Grouse,  Fig.  13,  p.  33 ;  Plate 

III,  p.  34 ;  Fig.  Ill,  p.  192. 

Sapsucker,  Plate  XI,  p.  208; 'Fig. 

213,  p.  353. 

Scarlet  Tanager,  Fig.  91,  p.  170. 
Screech  Owl,  Plate  XXI,  p.  287. 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  Plate  XV,  p. 

268. 
Sharp-tailed   Sparrow,   Fig.   148,  p. 

239. 
Short-eared    Owl,  Plate   XXIII,   p. 

290. 

Shrike,  Loggerhead,  Fig.  169,  p.  298. 
Snowbird,  Fig.  158,  p.  253. 

Slate-colored,  Fig.  156,  p.  253. 
Suowflake,  Fig.  158,  p.  253. 
Snowy  Owl,  Plate  XXVII,  p.  294. 
Sparrow  Hawk,  Fig.  167,  p.  277. 
Sparrows,  Chipping,  Fig.  55,  p.  113. 
Fox,  Fig.  143,  p.  230. 
Lark,  Fig.  147,  p.  237. 
Sharp-tailed,  Fig.  148,  p.  239. 
Song,  Fig.  101,  p.  190;  Fig.  103,  p. 

191 ;  Fig.  154,  p.  252. 
Vesper,  Fig.  60,  p.  119. 
White-crowned,  Fig.  152,  p.  252. 
White-throat,  Fig.  150,  p.  252. 
Swainson's  Thrush,  Fig.  220,  p.  361. 
Swallows,  Bank,  Fig.  24,  p.  55. 
Barn,  Plate  IV,  p.  50  ;  Fig.  47,  p 

109 ;  Fig.  102,  p.  190. 
Cliff ,  Fig.  22,  p.  52. 
Eave,  Fig.  22,  p.  52. 
Rough-winged,  Fig.  123,  p.  195. 
Tree,  Fig.  120,  p.  193  ;  Fig.  122,  p. 

194. 
White-bellied,    Fig.   120,   p.   193; 

Fig.  122,  p.  194. 
Swallow-tailed   Kite,  Plate  XX,  p. 

284. 

Swift,  Chimney,  Plate  II,  p.  24 ;  Fig. 
7,  p.  25  ;  Fig.  9,  p.  26  ;  Fig.  19, 
p.  45 ;  Fig.  214,  p.  353. 

Tails  of 

Barn  Swallow,  Fig.  210,  p.  352. 
Black-billed   Cuckoo,   Fig.  86,  p. 

Bobolink,  Fig.  51,  p.  110. 
Brown  Creeper,  Fig.  212,  p.  353. 
Mourning  Dove,  Fig.  12,  p.  30. 
Pine  Finch,  Fig.  209,  p.  352. 


398 


INDEX   TO  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Ruffed  Grouse,  Fig  216,  p.  353. 
Sapsucker,  Fig.  213,  p.  353. 
Swallow-tailed  Kite,  Fig.  215,  p. 

353. 

Swift,  Fig.  214,  p.  353. 
Vesper  Sparrow,  Fig.  60,  p.  119. 
Vireo,   White-eyed,    Fig.   208,   p. 

352. 
Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  Fig.  87,  p. 

164. 

Tanager,  Scarlet,  Fig.  91,  p.  170. 
Thrasher,  Brown,  Fig.  94,  p.  177  ; 

Fig.  126,  p.  207. 
Thrushes,  Hermit,  Plate  XXVIII,  p. 

360 ;  Fig.  220,  p.  361. 
Swainson's,  Fig.  220,  p.  361. 
Veery,  Fig.  220,  p.  361. 
Wood,  Fig.  220,  p.  361. 
Tree  Swallow,  Fig.  120,  p.  193  ;  Fig. 

122,  p.  194. 

Tufted  Titmouse,  Fig.  77,  p.  153. 
Turkey   Vulture,  Fig.  163,   p.  264; 
Fig.  164,  p.  265. 

Veery  Thrush,  Fig.  220,  p.  361. 
Vesper  Sparrow,  Fig.  60,  p.  119. 
Vireo,  Red-ey.ed,  Fig.  61,  p.  121 ;  Fig. 

Warbling,  Fig.  172,  p.  305. 
White-eyed,  Fig.  109,  p.  192 ;  Fig. 

171,  p.  305. 

Yellow-throated,  Fig.  170,  p.  305. 
Vulture,  Turkey,  Fig.  163,  p.  264. 

Warblers,  Black  and  White  Creeper, 

Fig.  190,  p.  347. 

Black  and  Yellow,  Fig.  174,  p.  324. 
Blackburnian,  Fig.  185,  p.  346. 
Black-poll,  Fig.  187,  p.  346. 
Black-throated  Blue,  Fig.  188,  p. 

347. 
Black-throated  Green,  Fig.  192,  p. 

347. 
Blue  Yellow-backed,  Fig.  189,  p. 

347. 

Canadian,  Fig.  184,  p.  346. 
Chestnut-sided,  Fig.  183,  p.  346. 
Hooded,  Fig.  180,  p.  346. 
Kentucky,  Fig.  186,  p.  346. 
Louisiana  Water-Thrush,  Fig.  178, 

p.  336. 

Magnolia,  Fig.  174,  p.  324. 
Maryland  Yellow-throat,  Fig.  193, 

p.  347. 

Myrtle,  Fig.  194,  p.  348. 
Oven-bird,  Fig.  176,  p.  333. 
Parula,  Fig.  189,  p.  347. 
Prairie,  Fig.  181,  p.  346. 
Redstart,  Fig.  195,  p.  348. 
Water-Thrush,  Fig.  177,  p.  336. 
Wilson's,  Fig.  182,  p.  346. 
Worm-eating,  Fig.  179,  p.  338. 


Yellow,  Fig.  191,  p.  347. 
Yellow-breasted  Chat,  Fig.  175,  p. 

331. 

Yellow-rumped,  Fig.  194,  p.  348. 
Warbling  Vireo,  Fig.  172,  p.  305. 
Waxwing,  Plate  VIII,  p.  142;  Fig. 

72,  p.  144. 

Weeds,  Amaranth,  Fig.  96,  p.  184. 
Crab  grass,  Fig.  56,  p.  114. 
Foxtail,  Fig.  142,  p.  228. 
Pigweed,  Fig.  59,  p.  117. 
Ragweed,  Fig.  139,  p.  222. 
Thistle,  Fig.  73,  p.  147. 
Whip-poor-will,  Fig.  98,  p.  188. 
White-bellied  Swallow,  Fig.  120,  p. 

193  ;  Fig.  122,  p.  194. 
White-breasted  Nuthatch,  Fig.  76,  p. 

153. 
White-crowned  Sparrow,  Fig.  152,  p. 

White-eyed  Vireo,  Fig.  171,  p.  305  ; 

Fig.  109,  p.  192. 
White-throated  Sparrow,  Fig.  150.  p. 

252. 

Wings  of 

Barn  Swallow,  Fig.  102,  p.  190. 
Chimney  Swift,  Fig.  19,  p.  45. 
House  Wren,  Fig.  18,  p.  45. 


Hummingbird,  Fig.  100,  p.  190. 
Nighthawk,  Fig.  99,  p.  189. 
Song  Sparrow,  Fig.  101,  p.  190. 
Waxwing,  Fig.  72,  p.  144. 
Woodpeckers,  Downy,  Fig.  71.  p.  139. 
Flicker,  Fig.  64,  p.  127  ;  Fig.  66, 

p.  130. 
Hairy,  Fig.  69,  p.  135  ;  Fig.  108,  p. 

192  ;  Fig.  133,  p.  215. 
Red-headed,  Fig.  67,  p.  131  ;  Fig. 

134,  p.  216. 
Yellow-bellied,  Plate  XI,  p.  208; 

Fig.  213,  p.  353. 
Wood  Pewee,  Fig.  107,  p.  192. 
Wood  Thrush,  Fig.  220,  p.  361. 
Wrens,  Carolina,  Fig.  127,  p.  207. 
House,  Fig.  18,  p.  45  ;  Fig.  130,  p. 

207. 
Long-billed   Marsh,   Fig.   131,    p. 

207  ;  Plate  X,  p.  202. 
Winter,  Fig.  129,  p.  207. 

Yellow-bellied    Woodpecker,    Plate 

XI,  p.  208  ;  Fig.  213,  p.  353. 
Yellow-billed    Cuckoo,   Fig.    83,   p. 

161  ;  Fig.  87,  p.  164. 
Yellow-bird,  Frontispiece. 
Yellow-breasted  Chat,  Fig.  175,  p 

331. 
Yellow-rumped  Warbler,  Fig.  194,  p 

348. 
Yellow-throated  Vireo,  Fig.  170,  p 

305. 
Yellow  Warbler,  Fig.  191,  p.  347. 


INDEX 


Acadian  Flycatcher,  254. 
Acanthis  linaria,  236-237. 
Accipiter  atricapillus,  266-267. 
cooperi,  269-271. 
velox,  268-269. 
Adaptation,  shown  by 
bill,  5,  25,  57,  59,  70,  86,  110-111, 
123,  139,  190,  191,  214,  234-235, 
264,  349. 
foot,  24-25,  35,  50,  159,  264,  282, 

349. 

mucilaginous  saliva,  26,  130,  140. 
power  of  regurgitation  (see  Regur- 

gitation). 

protective  coloration,  5,  26,^3-35, 
44,  56,  67,  104-105,  107-108,  122, 
130,  146,  171,  183,  185,  190,  262, 
294,  318,  348,  349. 
tail,  25,  110,  140,  240,  283,  350. 
tongue,  139,  140,  214. 
wing,  5,  24,  35,  44^5. 
Agelaius  phoeniceus,  96-98. 
Alder  Flycatcher,  258. 
Ammodramus  caudacutus,  239-240. 
maritimus,  240-241. 
sandwichensis  savanna,  225-226. 
savannarum  passerinus,  226-227. 
Ampelis  cedrorum,  141-144. 
Anthus  pensilvanicus,  348. 
Antrostomus  vociferus,  185-187. 
Asio  accipitrinus,  290-291. 
wilsonianus,  288-289. 

Bachman's  Sparrow,  242. 

Bald  Eagle,  281,  282-283. 

Baltimore  Oriole,  56-61,  62. 

Bank  Swallow,  54-55,  159,  195. 

Barn  Owl,  293-294. 

Barn  Swallow,  49-51,  53,  54. 

Barred  Owl,  291-292. 

Bewick's  Wren,  201. 

Bird  boxes,  xxv,  42-43,  46,  48-49,  72, 

288.      ' 

Bird  psychology,  46-47, 107-108,  255, 
318-320. 

association  of  ideas,  72,  87. 

courage,  28,  29,  32,  71,  200,  267. 

dissimulation,  32,  39-40,  160,  172. 

expression  of  emotions  and  ideas, 
—  by  use  of  crests,  attitudes, 


and  movements,  3,  9,  129,  141- 
142,  288,  332.  By  voice,  —  calls 
of  warning,  40,  50 ;  cries  of  an- 

fer,  distress  fear,  pain,  9,  121, 
50, 172,  180  ;  scoldings,  60,  316 ; 
songs,  18,  99,  104,  169,  232,  238, 
316,  332,  334. 

individuality,  10-11, 14-15, 59,  201, 
255,  302,  318-320. 

inherited  instincts,  27. 

intelligence  shown  in 
building,  52,  55, 136,  318 ;  bring- 
ing up  young,  18 ;  cooperation, 
18,  46-47,  157,  281 ;  discrimina- 
tion between  eggs,  180 ;  getting 
food,  282,  295 ;  protecting  young, 
39-40,  99;  protective  attitudes, 
devices,  and  movements,  27, 142, 
161,  255-256,  289 ;  strategy,  39- 
40,  49, 160, 161,  255,  269  ;  turning 
to  man  for  help,  46,  81-82,  238. 

play  impulse,  75. 

storing  habit,  133,  218-219,  299. 
Birds, 

agents  in  cross-fertilization  and 
fruit-planting,  4-5,  123. 

anecdotes  about,  107-108, 142, 157  ; 
appealing  to  man  for  help,  46- 
47,  238  ;  defense  of  nest,  87 ;  de- 
votion to  young,  28-29,  36-37, 
39-40,  71,  172;  feeding  neigh- 
bor's children,  100-101,  318-320 ; 
friendliness  when  well  treated, 
9,  10-11,  46-47,  81-82,  113-115, 
124-125,  129,  302  ;  originality  of 
Crow,  14-15. 

as  guides  to  water,  30-31. 

bills,  feet,  tails,  wings  of  (see 
Adaptation). 

comparisons  of  groups  of,  40,  79, 
91-92, 109-111, 143-144, 173, 181- 
182,  190-191,  196,  204-205,  214- 
216,  219,  242-246,  258-259,  271- 
272,  284-285,  295,  297,  302-303, 
306-307,  339-342,  350,  361-363. 

destruction  of,  3,  31-32,  37,  64- 
65,  78-79,  117-118,  122-123,  137, 
138,  236. 

domestic  life  of,  as  parents,  2-3, 
8-9,  15,  18,  19,  28-29,  32,  36-37, 


400 


INDEX 


39^0,  71,  98-99,  100,  172,  318- 
320;  companionship  of  mates, 
18,  31,  76,  142,  146,  169,  316; 
courtship,  43-44,  128-129,  136, 
149,  180,  186-187,  210,  255,  279- 
280,  288;  defense  of  nest  and 
young,  9,  32,  36-37,  39-40,  71, 
87, 160,  161, 187  ;  family  govern- 
ment, 18 ;  habits  of  male  at 
nest,  — absent  from,  3-4;  helps 
build,  39,  76,  136,  210;  mated 
through  life,  15,  60,  136,  288. 

economic  status  of  (see  Economic 
status). 

eyesight  of,  84-85. 

flight  of,  72,  84,  178,  186,  189,  195, 
213,272-273,  276-278,  280,  283- 
284,  299. 

flocks  of,  19,  24,  51,  55,  66,  73,  78, 
111,  141,  144,  145,  148,  175,  189, 
194,  221,  231,  233,  234,  317,  339, 
354. 

food  of  (see  Food  of  birds). 

how  and  what  to  observe  about, 
xiv-xv,  4,  12,  14,  18-20,  23-24, 
26-27,  141-142,  144,  149,  160- 
161,  199-200,  352,  367-368,  380- 
388. 

how  to  find  name  of,  xiii,  79-80. 

how  to  protect,  attract,  and  feed, 
xx-xxi,  xxiv-xxviii,  36,  40,  42- 
43,  46,  48-49,  53,  58,  68,  81, 
113,  124-125,  146,  154,  194,  235, 
281. 

how  to  protect  crops  from,  xx- 
xxi,  7,  8,  13,  21,  58,  105,  143, 
209. 

human  companionship  sought  by, 
10-11,  218. 

keys  to  (see  Keys). 

migration  of  (see  Migration). 

sleeping  places  of,  28,  51,  75,  139- 
140. 

songs  (see  Songs  and  calls  of  birds). 

winter,  xxvi-xxviii,  376-379. 

young  (see  Young  birds). 
Black  and  White  Creeper,  314. 
Black  and  Yellow  Warbler,  324-325. 
Blackbirds,    12,    101-102,     109-111, 
144. 

Gowbird,  98-101,  102,  110. 

Crow,  93-96,  101,  110. 

Key  to,  111-112. 

Red-whig,  96-98,  101,  102,  110. 

Rusty,  101-103,  110. 
Blackbirds  and  Orioles,  109-111. 

Key  to,  111-112. 
Blackburnian  Warbler,  326. 
Black-poll  Warbler,  321-322. 
Black-throated  Blue  Warbler,  312- 
313,  326. 


Black-throated  Bunting,  224. 
Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  311, 

326. 

Bluebird,  41-44,  59,  140. 
Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher,  357. 
Blue  Jay,  154-157. 
Blue  Yellow-backed   Warbler,  317- 

318. 

Bobolink,  103-106,  107, 110. 
Bob-white,  37-40,  57,  80. 
Bonasa  umbellus.  32-37. 
Broad-winged  Hawk,  275. 
Brown  Creeper,  349-352. 
Brown  Thrasher,  177-180,  182. 
Bubo  virginianus,  292-293. 
Butcherbird,  300. 
Buteo  borealis,  271-273. 

latissimus,  275. 

lineatus,  273-274. 
Buzzard,  Turkey,  263-265,  266. 

Canada  Jay,  217-219. 
Canadian  Warbler,  322. 
Cardinal,  65-66,  151,  171,  199,  200. 
Cardinalis  cardinalis,  65-66. 
Carolina  Chickadee,  71-72,  151. 
CarolinfrWren,  199-200. 
Carpodacus  purpureus,  148-149. 
Catbird,  6-11,  92. 
Cathartes  aura,  263-265. 
Cats,  xxv,  118. 
Cedar-bird,  141-144. 
Ceophloeus  pileatus,  212-213. 
Certhia   familiaris  americana,  349- 

352. 

Ceryle  alcyon,  157-160. 
Chaetura  pelagica,  23-29. 
Chat,  Yellow-breasted,  331-333. 
Chebeck,  80-82,  92. 
Chelidon  erythrogaster,  49-51. 
Cherry-bird",  141-144. 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  318-320. 
Chewink,  181-183. 
Chickadee,  67-71,  79,  95,  138,  152. 

Carolina,  71-72,  151. 
Chimney  Swift,  23-29,  45,  92. 
Chipping  Sparrow,  11 3-1 16. 
Chondestes  grammacus,  237-238. 
Chordeiles  virgiuianus,  188-190. 
Circus  hudsonius,  278-280. 
Cistothorus  palustris,  202-204. 
Clay-colored  Sparrow,  241. 
Cliff  Swallow,  50,  52-54. 
Clivicola  riparia,  54-55. 
Coccyzus  americanuf ,  160-163. 

erythropthalinus,  163-164. 
Cock-of-the-Woods,  212-213. 
Colaptes  auratus,  127-131. 
Colinus  virginianus,  37-40. 
Columbigallina  passeriua  terrestris, 

31-32. 
Compsothlypsis  americana,  317-318. 


INDEX 


401 


Contopus  borealis,  257. 

virens,  90-93. 
Cooper's  Hawk,  269-271. 
Corvus  americanus,  11-15. 

ossifragus,  1C. 
Cowbird,  98-101,  102,  110. 
Creeper,  Brown,  349-352. 
Crossbill,  American,  234-235. 
Crow,  American,  11-15. 

Fish,  16. 

Crow  Blackbird,  93-96,  101,  110. 
Crows  and  Jays,  156,  219. 

Key  to,  220. 
Cuckoos,  162,  177-178. 

Black-billed,  163-164. 

Yellow-billed,  160-163. 
Cuckoos  and  Kingfishers,  164. 

Key  to,  165. 
Cyanocitta  cristata,  154-157. 

Dendroica  aestiva,  307-308. 

Blackburniae,  326. 

caerulescens,  312-313. 

coronata,  310. 

discolor,  325-326. 

maculosa,  324-325. 

palmarum  hypochrysea,  316-317. 

pensylvanica,  318-320. 

striata,  321-322. 

virens,  311. 
Dickcissel,  224. 

Dolichonyx  oryzivorus,  103-106. 
Doves,  45,  79-80,  94. 

Ground,  31-32. 

Key  to,  80. 

Mourning,  29-31. 

Passenger  Pigeon,  78-79. 
Downy  Woodpecker,  137-140. 
Dryobates  borealis,  210-211. 

pubescens,  137-140. 

villosus,  135-137. 

Eave  Swallow,  50,  52-54. 
Economic  status  of 

Bald  Eagle,  282-283. 

Barn  Owl,  293-294. 

Barn  Swallow,  53,  54. 

Barred  Owl,  291. 

Black-poll  Warbler,  322. 

Bluebird,  43. 

Blue  Jay,  154-156. 

Bobolink,  105-106. 

Bob-white,  37-38. 

Broad-winged  Hawk,  275.     . 

Brown  Thrasher,  179. 

Butcherbird,  300. 

Catbird,  7-8. 

Chewink,  182-183. 

Chickadee,  69-70. 

Chimney  Swift,  25. 


Chipping  Sparrow,  115-116. 

Cooper's  Hawk,  269-271. 

Crow,  12-14. 

Crow  Blackbird,  12,  95-96. 

Cuckoos,  162-164. 

Dickcissel,  224. 

Downy  Woodpecker,  138-139. 

Eave  Swallow,  54. 

Field  Sparrow,  184. 

Flicker,  130-131. 

Goldfinch,  146-147. 

Goshawk,  266-267. 

Great  Horned  Owl,  292-293. 

Hairy  Woodpecker,  136-137. 

Horned  Lark,  262-263. 

Junco,  221-222. 

Kingbird,  85-86. 

Kingfisher,  159. 

Loggerhead  Shrike,  299. 

Long-eared  Owl,  289. 

Marsh  Hawk,  279. 
'  Meadowlark,  108-109. 

Nighthawk,  188. 

Nuthatch,  75. 

Orioles,  57-59,  61-62. 

Osprey,  280. 

Phoebe,  89-90. 

Pileated  Woodpecker,  213. 

Pine  Finch,  233. 

Red-bellied  Woodpecker,  212. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker,  132-133. 

Redpoll,  237. 

Red-shouldered  Hawk,  273-274. 

Red-tailed  Hawk,  272. 

Red-winged  Blackbird,  96-97. 

Robin,  20-21. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  167-168. 

Sapsucker,  208-209. 

Savanna  Sparrow,  225-226. 

Screech  Owl,  287. 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  268. 

Short-eared  Owl,  290-291. 

Song  Sparrow,  117. 

Sparrow  Hawk,  276. 

Swallow-tailed  Kite,  284. 

Thrushes,  358. 

Tree  Sparrow,  229. 

Tufted  Titmouse,  152. 

Vireos,  122,  304. 

Warblers,  307. 

Waxwing,  142-143. 

Whip-poor-will,  187. 

White-throated  Sparrow,  175. 

Woodpeckers,  12,  133,  213-214. 
Ectopistes  migratorius,  78-79. 
Elanpides  forficatus,  283-284. 
Einpidonax  minimus,  80-82. 

trailii  alnorum,  258. 

virescens,  254. 
English  Sparrow,  xix,  42,  46,  49. 

Falcons,  Hawks,  and  Eagles,  284-285. 


402 


INDEX 


Key  to,  285-287. 

Falco  sparverius,  276-278. 
Field  Sparrow,  183-185. 
Finch,  Pine,  xxvii,  233. 

Purple,  xxvii,  148-149. 
Finches  and  Sparrows,  242-246. 

Key  to,  246-251. 
Fish  Hawk,  280-282. 
Flicker,  127-131,  140. 
Flycatchers,  91-93,  116,  258-259. 

Acadian,  254. 

Alder,  258. 

Great-crested,  255-256. 

Key  to,  260-261. 

Kingbird,  83-87. 

Least,  80-82,  92. 

Olive-sided,  257. 

Phoebe,  53,  87-90,  91. 

Train's,  258. 

Wood  Pewee,  90-93. 
Food  of  birds,   xv-xxiv,  6-8,  12-13 
(see  Economic  status). 

Ants,  xxii,  130,  209. 

Army  worms,  xxiv,  20,  116. 

Asparagus  beetles,  85. 

Beet  caterpillars,  97. 

Cabbage  worms,  115,  117. 

Cankerworms,  xvii,  69. 

Caterpillars,  57,  122,  162, 163. 

Chinch  bugs,  xxiii. 

Cotton  worms,  xxiii. 

Elm  leaf-beetles,  143. 

Field  mice  and  rats,  14,  272,  274, 
275,  279,  287,  289,  290,  293. 

Grasshoppers,    xxiv,  7,    13,    108, 
132,  155,  276. 

Gypsy  moth,  xvi,  xxiii,  xxiv,  14, 
164. 

Insects,  xvii. 

May    beetles,  xxii,  95,  132,    133, 
179. 

Mosquitoes,  54,  188. 

Potato  beetles,  xxi,  38,  167-168. 

Rose  chafers,  85. 

Scale  insects,  xxii. 

Sphynx  moths,  155,  156. 

Squash  beetles,  54,  89. 

Tent-caterpillars,  xxi,  14,  162. 

Thistle  seeds,  147. 

Weed    seeds,  xviii,    96,    97,    115, 
123,  146,  175,  184,  221,  229,  262. 

Weevils,  xxii,  89. 

Wire  worms,  xxiii,  57. 

Wood-borers,  137,  139. 
Food  of  young  birds,  2,  8,  14,  48,  72, 

142,  147. 
Fox  Sparrow,  230-231. 

Galeoscoptes  carolinensis,  6-11. 
Geothlypis  formosa,  329-330. 
trichas,  315-316. 


Gnatcatcher,  Blue-gray,  357. 
Goatsuckers  and  Swifts,  190-191. 

Key  to,  193. 
Golden-crowned  Kinglet,  356. 
Goldfinch,  145-147. 
Goshawk,  266-267. 
Grackle,  Purple,  93-96,  101,  110. 
Grass  Finch,  119-120. 
Grasshopper  Sparrow,  226-227. 
Great-crested  Flycatcher,  255-256. 
Great  Horned  Owl,  292-293. 
Grosbeak,  Pine,  231-233. 

Rose-breasted,  166-169. 
Grouse,  Ruffed,  32-37,  39,  40,  92. 
Grouse  and  Quail,  45. 

Key  to,  40. 

Hairy  Woodpecker,  135-137,  140. 
Haliaeetus  leucocephalus,  282-283. 
Harporhynchus  rufus,  177-180. 
Hawks,  284-285,  297. 

Broad-winged,  275. 

Cooper's,  269-271. 

Fish,  280-282. 

Goshawk,  266-267. 

Key  to,  285-287. 

Marsh,  278-280. 

Red-shouldered,  273-274. 

Red-tailed,  271-273. 

Sharp-shinned,  268-269. 

Sparrow,  276-278. 

Swallow-tailed  Kite,  283-284. 
Hawks  and  Owls,  263-297. 
Helminthophila    rubricapilla,    322- 

323. 

Hehuitherus  vermivorus,  337-339. 
Hermit  Thrush,  360. 
High-hole,  127-131,  140. 
Hooded  Warbler,  327-328. 
Horned  Lark,  261-263. 
House  Wren,  44-48. 
Hummingbird,   Ruby- throated,  1-5, 
25,50. 

Icteria  virens,  331-333. 
Icterus  galbula,  56-61. 

spurius,  61-62. 
Indigo  Bunting,  149-150. 

Jay,  Blue,  xxvii,  154-157. 

Canada,  217-219. 
Junco,    Slate-colored,     xxvii,    221- 

222. 
Junco  hyemalis,  221-222. 

Kentucky  Warbler,  329-330. 
Keys  to 

All    birds    mentioned    in    book, 
xxix-xlix. 

Blackbirds  and  Orioles,  111-112. 


INDEX 


403 


Crows  and  Jays,  220. 

Falcons,  Hawks,  and  Eagles,  285- 
287. 

Finches  and  Sparrows,  246-251. 

Flycatchers,  260-261. 

Goatsuckers  and  Swifts,  193. 

Grouse  and  Quail,  40. 

Kinglets  and  Gnatcatchers,  357. 

Nuthatches  and  Titmice,  152. 

Owls,  296-297. 

Shrikes,  300. 

Swallows,  196-197. 

Tanagers,  174. 

Thrashers  and  Wrens,  205-206. 

Thrushes    and     Bluebirds,     360- 
361. 

Vireos,  304. 

Warblers,  342-345. 

Woodpeckers,  216-217. 
Kingbird,  83-87. 
Kingfisher,  Belted,  157-160. 
Kinglets,  Golden-crowned,  356. 

Key  to,  357. 

Ruby-crowned,  354-355. 
Kinglets  and  Gnatcatchers. 

Key  to,  357. 
Kite,  Swallow-tailed,  283-284. 

Lanius  borealis,  300. 

ludovicianus,  298-299. 
Lark,  Horned,  261-263. 

Shore,  261-263. 
Lark  Sparrow,  237-238. 
Least  Flycatcher,  80-82. 
Loggerhead  Shrike,  298-299. 
Long-billed  Marsh  Wren,  202-204. 
Long-eared  Owl,  288-289. 
Louisiana  Water-Thrush,  336-337. 
Loxia  curvirostra  minor,  234-235. 

Magnolia  Warbler,  324-325. 
Marsh  Hawk,  278-280. 
Martin,  Purple,  48-49. 
Maryland  Yellow-throat,  315-316. 
.Meadowlark,  101,  106-109. 
Megascops  asio,  287-288. 
Melanerpes  carolinus,  211-212. 

erythrocephalus,  131-134,  144. 
Melospiza  fasciata,  116-119. 

georgiana,  229-230. 
Merula  migratoria,  17-22. 
Migration,  xv,    116,    123,  148,  342, 

367-376. 

Mimus  polyglottos,  63-65. 
Mniotilta  varia,  314. 
Mockingbird,  63-65,  298-299. 
Molothrus  ater,  98-101. 
Moose  Bird,  217-219. 
Mourning  Dove,  29-31. 
Myiarchus  crinitus,  255-256. 
Myrtle  Warbler,  310. 


Nashville  Warbler,  322-323. 


methods  of  building,  24,  27,  46, 

52,  53,  59,  60,  70,  76,  91, 136, 159, 

255. 
types  of,  59. 

Bank  Swallow,  55. 

Barn  Swallow,  53. 

Bewick's  Wren,  201. 

Bluebird,  140. 

Catbird,  9. 

Chickadee,  140. 

Chimney  Swift,  26. 

Cuckoo,  161. 

Eave  Swallow,  52. 

Hummingbird,  2. 

Kingfisher,  159. 

Orioles,  59,  62. 

Oven-bird,  335. 

Parula  Warbler,  317. 

Red-eyed  Vireo,  124. 

Winter  Wren,  198. 

Wood  Pewee,  91. 

Wood  Thrush,  22. 

Yellow-throated  Vireo,  301. 
unusual  sites,  47-48,  172,  201,  212. 
Nighthawk,  188-190. 
Notebooks,  xiii,  xiv. 
Nuthatches,  92. 
Red-breasted,  xxvii,  76-77. 
White-breasted,  xxvii,  73-76. 
Nuthatches  and  Titmice,  152. 

Key  to,  152. 
Nyctea  nyctea,  294-295. 

Olive-backed  Thrush,  359. 
Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  257. 
Orchard  Oriole,  58,  61-62. 
Orioles,  xxvii,  109-111,  122. 

Baltimore,  56-61,  62. 

Orchard,  58,  61-62. 
Osprey,  280-282. 
Otocoris  alpestris,  261-263. 
Oven-bird,  333-335. 
Owls,  295,  297. 

Barn,  293-294. 

Barred,  291-292. 

Great  Horned.  292-293. 

Key  to,  296-297. 

Long-eared,  288-289. 

Screech,  287-288. 

Short-eared,  290-291. 

Snowy,  294-295. 

Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis,  280- 

282. 

Parula  Warbler,  317-318. 
Parus  atricapillus,  67-71. 

bicolor,  151-152. 

carolinensis,  71-72. 
Passerella  iliaca,  230-231. 


404 


INDEX 


Passerina  cyanea,  149-150. 
Perisoreus  canadensis,  217-219. 
Petrochelidon  lunifrons,  52-54. 
Peucaea  aestivalis  bachmanii,  242. 
Pewee,  Wood,  90-93. 
Phoebe,  53,  87-90,  91,  92. 
Pigeon,  Passenger,  78-79. 
Pigeons  and  Doves,  79-80. 
Pileated  Woodpecker,  212-213. 
Pine  Finch,  233. 

Grosbeak,  231-233. 
Pinicola  enucleator,  231-233. 
Pipilo  erythropthalmus,  181-183. 
Pipit,  American,  348. 
Piranga  erythromelas,  170-172. 
Plectrophenax  nivalis,  223. 
Polioptila  caerulea,  357. 
Poocsetes  gramineus,  119-120. 
Prairie  Warbler,  325-326. 
Progne  subis,  48-49. 
Purple  Finch,  148-149. 

Grackle,  93-96,  101,  110. 

Martin,  48-49. 

Quail,  37-40,  57,  80. 
Quiscalus  quiscula,  93-96. 

Red-bellied  Woodpecker,  211-212. 

-cockaded  Woodpecker,  210-211. 

-eyed  Vireo,  120-125,  126. 

-headed  Woodpecker,  131-134. 
Redpoll,  xxvii,  236-237. 

Warbler,  316-317. 
Red-shouldered  Hawk,  273-274. 
Redstart,  309-310,  318-320. 
Red-tailed  Hawk,  271-273. 

-winged  Blackbird,  96-98, 101, 102, 

110. 

Reed  Bird,  103-106.     . 
Regulus  calendula,  354-355. 

satrapa,  356. 
Regurgitation 

of  food  for  young,  2,  32,  130,  136, 
142. 

of  indigestible  food,  93,  159. 
Rice  Birds,  103-106. 
Robin,  xxvii,  17-22. 
Roosts,  19-20,  24,  51,  66,  78,  194-195. 
Rose  -  breasted    Grosbeak,    166-169, 

170. 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglet,  354-355,  356. 
Ruffed  Grouse,  32-37,  39,  40,  92. 
Rusty  Blackbird,  101-103,  110. 

Sapsucker,  208-210. 
Savanna  Sparrow,  225-226. 
Sayornis  phoebe,  87-90. 
Scarlet  Tanager,  170-172. 
Scolecophagus  carolinus,  101-103. 
Screech  Owl,  287-288. 
Seaside  Sparrow,  239,  240-241. 
Ssiurus  aurocapillus,  333-335. 


Seiurus  motacilla,  336-337. 

noveboracensis,  335-336. 
Setophaga  ruticilla,  309-310. 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  268-269. 

-tailed  Sparrow,  239-240. 
Shore  Lark,  261-263. 
Short-eared  Owl,  290-291. 
Shrikes. 

Butcherbird,  300. 

Key  to,  300. 

Loggerhead,  298-299. 
Sialia  sialis,  41-44. 
Siskin,  233. 
Sitta  canadensis,  76-77. 

carolinensis,  73-76. 
Snowbird,  223. 

Slate-colored,  221-222. 
Snow  Bunting,  223. 
Snowflake,  223. 
Snowy  Owl,  294-295. 
Song  Sparrow,  100,  116-119. 
Songs  and  calls  of  Birds,  98, 136, 166- 
167, 182,  358,  360. 

alarm  notes,  40,  50. 

comparisons  in  songs,  23, 45, 90, 92. 

flight  songs,  104,  316,  332,  334. 

seasonal  calls,  10,  146. 

variations  in  song,  18,  60-61,  119, 

315,  332,  334. 
Sparrow  Hawk,  276-278. 
Sparrows,  99,  116,  122,  242-246. 

Bachman's,  242. 

Chipping,  113-116. 

Clay-colored,  241. 

English,  42,  46,  49. 

Field,  183-185. 

Fox,  xxvii,  230-231. 

Grasshopper,  225-226. 

House,  42,  46,  49. 

Key  to,  248-251. 

Lark,  237-238. 

Savanna,  225-226. 

Seaside,  239,  240-241. 

Sharp-tailed,  239-240. 

Song,  xxvii,  100,  116-119. 

Swamp,  229-230. 

Tree,  xxvii,  227-229. 

Vesper,  119-120. 

White-crowned,  176-177. 

-throated,  174-175. 
Sphyrapicus  varius,  208-210. 
Spinus  pinus,  233. 

tristis,  145-147. 
Spiza  americana,  224. 
Spizella  monticola,  227-229. 

pallida,  241. 

pusilla,  183-185. 

socialis,  113-116. 

Stelgidopteryx  serripennis,  195-196. 
Sternella  magna,  106-109. 
Strix  pratincola,  293-294. 


INDEX 


405 


Swainson's  Thrush,  359. 
Swallows,  53,  109,  196. 

Bank,  54-55,  159. 

Barn,  49-51,  53,  54. 

Cliff,  50,  52-54. 

Eave,  50,  52-54. 

Key  to,  196-197. 

Purple  Martin,  48-49. 

Rough-winged,  195-196. 

Tree,  194-195. 

White-bellied,  194-195. 
Swallow-tailed  Kite,  283-284. 
Swamp  Sparrow,  229-230. 
Swift,  Chimney,  23-29,  45,  92. 
Syrnium  nebulosum,  291-292. 

Tachycineta  bicolor,  194-195. 
Tanagers, 

Key  to,  174. 

Scarlet,  170-172. 

Summer,  173. 
Thistle-bird,  145-147. 
Thrasher,  Brown,  177-180,  182. 
Thrushes,  xxvii,  358. 

Hermit,  360. 

Key  to,  360-361. 

Olive-backed,  359. 

Swainson's,  359. 

Veery,  358-359. 

Wilson's,  358-359. 

Wood,  22-23. 
Titlark,  348. 
Titmice,  72. 

Tufted,  151-152,  199,  200. 
Towhee,  181-183. 
Traill's  Flycatcher,  258. 
Tree  Sparrow,  xviii,  227-229. 

Swallow,  194-195. 
Trochilus  colubris,  1-5. 
Troglodytes  sedon,  44-48. 

hyemalis,  197-198. 
Thryothorus  bewickii,  201. 

ludovicianus,  199-200. 
Tufted  Titmouse,  151-152,  199. 
Turdus  aonalaschkse  pallasi,  360. 

fuscescens,  358. 

mustelinus,  22-23. 

ustulatus  swainsoni,  359. 
Turkey  Buzzard,  263-265,  266. 

Vulture,  263-265,  266. 
Turtle  Dove,  29-31. 
Tyrannus  tyrannus,  83-87. 

Veery  Thrush,  358-359. 
Vesper  Sparrow,  119-120. 
Vireo  flavifrons,  301. 

gilvus,  126.      • 

noveboracensis,  302. 

olivaceus,  120-125. 
Vireos,  122,  144,  159,  302-304. 


Key  to,  304. 

Red-eyed,  120-125,  126. 
Warbling,  126,  149. 
White-eyed,  302. 
Yellow-throated,  301. 
Vultures,  Black,  265-266. 
Key  to,  266. 
Turkey,  263-265,  266. 

Warblers,  306-307,  339-342. 

Black  and  White  Creeper,  314. 

Black  and  Yellow,  324-325. 

Blackburnian,  326. 

Black-poll,  321-322. 

Black-throated  Blue,  312-313,  326. 
Green,  311,  326. 

Blue  Yellow-backed,  317-318. 

Canadian,  322. 

Chestnut-sided,  318-320. 

Hooded,  327-328. 

Kentucky,  329-330. 

Key  to,  342-345. 

Louisiana  Water-Thrush,  336-337. 

Magnolia,  324-325. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat,  315-316. 

Myrtle,  310. 

Nashville,  322-323. 

Oven-bird,  333-335. 

Parula,  317-318. 

Prairie,  325-326. 

Red-poll,  316-317. 

Redstart,  309-310,  318-320. 

Water-Thrush,  335-336. 

Wilson's,  339. 

Worm-eating,  337-339. 

Yellow,  307-308. 
-breasted  Chat,  331-333. 
-rumped,  310. 
Warbling  Vireo,  126,  149. 
Water-Thrush,  335-336. 

Louisiana,  336-337. 
Waxwing,  141-144. 
Whip-poor-will,  185-187,  188. 
Whiskey  Jack,  217-219. 
White-bellied  Swallow,  194-195. 

-crowned  Sparrow,  176-177. 

-eyed  Vireo,  302. 

-throated  Sparrow,  174-175,  176. 
Wilsonia  canadensis,  322. 

mitrata,  327-328. 

pusilla,  339. 

Wilson's  Thrush,  358-359. 
Wilson's  Warbler,  339. 
Winter  Wren,  197-198. 
Woodpeckers,  12,  133,  140,  214-216- 

Downy,  137-140. 

Hairy,  xxvii,  135-137,  140. 

Flicker,  127-131,  140. 

Key  to,  216-217. 

Pileated,  212-213. 


406 


INDEX 


Woodpecker,  Red-bellied,  211-212. 
-cockaded,  210-211. 
-headed,  131-134,  144. 

Sapsucker,  208-210. 

Yellow-bellied,  208-210. 
Wood  Pewee,  90-93. 

Thrush,  22-23. 

Worm-eating  Warbler,  337-339. 
Wrens,  57,  67-68,  92,  204-205. 

Bewick's,  201. 

Carolina,  199-200. 

House,  44-48. 

Key  to,  205-206. 

Long-billed  Marsh,  202-204. 

Winter,  197-198. 
Wrens  and  Thrashers,  204-205. 

Key  to,  205-206. 

Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker,  208-210. 
-bird,  145-147. 


-breasted  Chat,  331-333. 
-hammer,  127-130. 
Palm  Warbler,  316-317. 
Red-poll  Warbler,  316-317. 
-rumped  Warbler,  310. 
-shafted  Woodpecker,  127-131, 140. 
-throated  Vireo,  301. 
Warbler,  307-308. 
-winged  Sparrow,  226-227. 
Young  birds  —  brought  back  to  nest 
at  night,  27-28;  fed  by  regurgi- 
tation,  2  ;  first  flights,  28 ;  length 
of  time  spent  in  nest,  2,  27,  160 ; 
taught  to  follow  parents,  19,  51. 

Zamelodia  ludoviciana,  166-169. 
Zenaidura  macroura,  29-31. 
Zonotrichia  albicollis,  174-17-5. 
leucophrys,  176-177. 


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